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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2014; 20(41): 15367-15373
Published online Nov 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i41.15367
Published online Nov 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i41.15367
New strategies for prevention and treatment of splenic artery steal syndrome after liver transplantation
Ji-Yong Song, Bing-Yi Shi, Zhi-Dong Zhu, De-Hua Zheng, Gang Li, Li-Kui Feng, Lin Zhou, Tian-Tian Wu, Guo-Sheng Du, Organ Transplant Institute, the 309th Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Beijing 100091, China
Author contributions: Song JY and Du GS designed the study; Song JY, Shi BY, Du GS, Zhu ZD and Zheng DH performed the operations; Feng LK and Zhou L collected the data; Song JY, Li G and Wu TT analyzed the data; Song JY wrote the paper; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Guo-Sheng Du, Professor, Organ Transplant Institute, the 309th Hospital of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, No. 17 Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China. duguosheng@medmail.com
Telephone: +86-10-66775208 Fax: +86-10-66775208
Received: March 1, 2014
Revised: May 5, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Published online: November 7, 2014
Revised: May 5, 2014
Accepted: July 22, 2014
Published online: November 7, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Splenic artery steal syndrome (SASS) is a rare but severe vascular complication after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Splenic artery embolization has been reported to treat SASS, which could induce local ischemic necrosis of the spleen, infection and septicemia. We proved that banding the proximal splenic artery, whose diameter exceeds 5 mm and/or 1.5 times of the diameter of the hepatic artery, during the OLT was an effective preventive intervention. We also recommend occluding the splenic artery temporarily as a new therapeutic intervention, by which, the possible complications of splenic artery embolization could be avoided.