Biliary sludging following liver transplantation in man.

Following orthotopic liver transplantation in man biliary, obstruction has been produced by masses of inspissated bile--biliary "sludge." Bile studies in two groups of patients following transplantation show that bile is lithogenic in the early postoperative period but that reestablishment of the entero-hepatic circulation of bile salts corrects this. Such changes, however, do not appear to be important in sludge formation and biochemical and histological studies of bile sludge show a major constituent to be necrotic collagen from the donor bile duct walls.