Published online Jan 28, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i4.448
Peer-review started: October 16, 2019
First decision: November 22, 2019
Revised: December 5, 2019
Accepted: January 2, 2020
Article in press: January 2, 2020
Published online: January 28, 2020
Hepatic artery stenosis is a complication of orthotopic liver transplant occurring in 3.1%-7.4% of patients that can result in graft failure and need for re-transplantation. Endovascular therapy with angioplasty and stenting has been used with a high degree of technical success and good clinical outcomes, but tortuous hepatic arteries present a unique challenge for intervention. Suitable stents for this application should be maneuverable and conformable while also exerting adequate radial force to maintain a patent lumen.
Herein we report our experience with a neurovascular Wingspan stent system in a challenging case of recurrent hepatic artery stenosis and discuss the literature of stenting in tortuous transplant hepatic arteries.
Wingspan neurovascular stent is self-expanding, has good conformability, and adequate radial resistance and as such it could be added to the armamentarium of interventionalists in the setting of a tortuous and stenotic transplant hepatic artery.
Core tip: Endovascular therapy of hepatic artery stenosis using angioplasty and stenting can be performed by interventional radiologists and has good outcomes and safety record, reducing the need for surgical revascularization or re-transplantation. The Wingspan neurovascular stent is a new self-expanding stent that has good conformability, maneuverability and adequate radial resistance for this application.