Three-dimensional computed tomography scan analysis of hepatic vasculatures in the donor liver for living donor liver transplantation

Abstract

Because hepatic vasculatures exhibit variations, a preoperative evaluation of the vascular anatomy and an estimation of the volume of the liver graft are essential for successful adult living donor liver transplantation. Using 3-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT), we analyzed the volumetric and anatomical relationship of the hepatic vasculatures of liver grafts. The livers of 223 potential donors were analyzed by 3D CT. Volumetric analysis was performed for each hepatic vein and its tributaries. The anatomy of the portal vein and hepatic artery was assessed along with the biliary system via intraoperative cholangiography in 110 recipients. On the basis of the anatomical presentation of the inferior right hepatic vein (IRHV), the hepatic veins were classified as follows: in type I, the IRHV was absent; in type II, the IRHV was smaller than the right hepatic vein (RHV); and in type III, the IRHV was greater than or equal to the RHV in size. The drainage volume of the middle hepatic vein (MHV) and especially its tributaries in the right lobe increased with the size of the IRHV (P < 0.001). In type III hepatic veins with a large IRHV (17% of the donors), the MHV tributaries had the largest drainage volume in the right lobe (41.2% +/- 11.8%). Furthermore, type III hepatic veins typically exhibited biliary variations in 75% of the donors. No correlation was observed between variations in the hepatic artery and portal vein. In conclusion, a right lobe graft with a large IRHV is accompanied by a large drainage volume via the MHV and by bile duct variations in 17% of livers. Therefore, anatomical and volumetric analysis is important for preoperative evaluations.