Liver transplantation using cavoportal transposition: an effective treatment in patients with complete splanchnic venous thrombosis.

Complete venous thrombosis of the splanchnic system remains a major challenge in liver transplantation surgery. Some of these patients have been treated successfully by multivisceral transplantation. Cavoportal transposition is another alternative to treat these patients. We reviewed our single-center experience with this technique. Five patients with operatively confirmed complete splanchnic thrombosis were transplanted with the cava portal transposition technique. All survived the procedure; 60% survived long term. This technique is a useful salvage procedure in moribund patients with diffuse portal thrombosis who would otherwise rapidly succumb.