Using a radial artery as an interpositional vascular graft in a living-donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

With increasing numbers of living-donor liver transplantations (LDLTs) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cases with some arterial troubles are encountered; because most HCC cases waiting for LDLT have undergone interventional treatments. In these patients, the reconstruction of the graft artery needs to be planned preoperatively. We report a 52-year-old male, with hepatitis C-related liver cirrhosis and advanced HCC, who for 4 years repeatedly underwent continuous intraarterial chemotherapy through an implanted reservoir port. A suitable artery was not available for arterial reconstruction and the patient underwent LDLT using an autologous radial artery conduit based on the infrarenal aorta. Postoperatively, the patient is well with normal liver function and efficient arterial flow. Autologous radial artery can be safely and successfully used as an aortic-based arterial conduit when HCC patients waiting for LDLT have undergone long-term repeated intraarterial chemotherapy.