Hepatic venous outflow obstruction after piggyback liver transplantation by an unusual mechanism: report of a case.

Hepatic venous outflow obstruction after piggyback liver transplantation is a very rare complication. An unusual mechanism aggravating it is reported. A 33-year-old man with end-stage hepatitis B liver cirrhosis underwent a piggyback orthotopic liver transplantation using a full-size cadaveric graft. Two months after transplantation, he developed gross ascites refractory to maximal diuretic therapy. Doppler ultrasound showed patent portal and hepatic veins. Serial computed tomography scans revealed a hypoperfused right posterior segment of the liver which subsequently underwent atrophy. Hepatic venography demonstrated a high-grade stenosis with an element of torsion of venous drainage at the anastomosis. The stenosis was successfully treated with repeated percutaneous balloon angioplasty. The patient remained asymptomatic six months afterwards with complete resolution of ascites and peripheral edema. We postulate that liver allograft segmental hypoperfusion and atrophy may aggravate or result in a hepatic venous outflow problem by the mechanism of torsion effect. Percutaneous balloon angioplasty is a safe and effective treatment modality for anastomotic stenosis.