Ces radiol. 2011, 65(2):117-123

Percutaneous treatment of biliary strictures after orthotopic liver transplantationOriginal article

Jarmila Laštovičková, Jan H. Peregrin

Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha

Aim: To present our experience with percutaneous treatment of biliary strictures in adult patients after orthotopic liver transplantation and long-term clinical results of this procedure.

Method: Thirty liver transplant recipients with biliary strictures (13 men, 17 women, mean age 46.4 years) were treated percutaneously at our institution between 1996 and 2010. Anastomotic stenoses were treated by balloon dilatation and biliary duct drainage in 20 patients, nonanastomotic stenoses in 7 patients, stenoses caused by lymfoproliferation in 3 cases. Percutaneous procedure was performed in 12 patients because of unsuccessful ERCP, in 18 cases as the first line of treatment.

Results: Technical success (dilatation and drainage of biliary tree) was achieved in 90% of patients. Long-term clinical success, defined as remove of biliary drainage without clinical, laboratory and sonography signs of recurrent stricture, was 73.3% during a mean follow-up of 5.5 years. Complications appear in 6.3 % of patients.

Conclusion: Percutaneous treatment is a first line option in patients with biliary strictures after liver transplantation, when endoscopic treatment is not available.

Keywords: percutaneous biliary duct dilatation, liver transplantation, biliary complications, percutaneous transhepatic drainage

Grants and funding:

Podporováno grantem IGA MZ ČR NS/10 274-3.

Accepted: March 31, 2011; Published: June 1, 2011  Show citation