Biliary strictures complicating living donor liver transplantation:Problems,novel insights and solutions

Biliary stricture complicating living donor liver transplantation(LDLT) is a relatively common complication, occurring in most transplant centres across the world. Cases of biliary strictures are more common in LDLT than in deceased donor liver transplantation. Endoscopic management is the mainstay for biliary strictures complicating LDLT and includes endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, sphincterotomy and stent placement(with or without balloon dilatation). The efficacy and safety profiles as well as outcomes of endoscopic management of biliary strictures complicating LDLT is an area that needs to be viewed in isolation, owing to its unique set of problems and attending complications; as such, it merits a tailored approach, which is yet to be well established. The diagnostic criteria applied to these strictures are not uniform and are over-reliant on imaging studies showing an anastomotic narrowing. It has to be kept in mind that in the setting of LDLT, a subjective anastomotic narrowing is present in most cases due to a mismatch in ductal diameters. However, whether this narrowing results in a functionally significant narrowing is a question that needs further study. In addition, wide variation in the endotherapy protocols practised in most centres makes it difficult to interpret the results and hampers our understanding of this topic. The outcome definition for endotherapy is also heterogenous and needs to be standardised to allow for comparison of data in this regard and establish a clinical practice guideline. There have been multiple studies in this area in the last 2 years, with novel findings that have provided solutions to some of these issues. This review endeavours to incorporate these new findings into the wider understanding of endotherapy for biliary strictures complicating LDLT, with specific emphasis on diagnosis of strictures in the LDLT setting, endotherapy protocols and outcome definitions. An attempt is made to present the best management options currently available as well as directions for future research in the area.

Endoscopic therapy for biliary strictures complicating living donor liver transplantation: Factors predicting better outcome

AIM To identify factors predicting outcome of endoscopic therapy in bile duct strictures(BDS) post living donor liver transplantation(LDLT).METHODS Patients referred with BDS post LDLT, were retrospectively studied. Patient demographics, symptoms(Pruritus, Jaundice, cholangitis), intra-op variables(cold ischemia time, blood transfusions, number of ducts used, etc.), peri-op complications [hepatic artery thrombosis(HAT), bile leak, infections], stricture morphology(length, donor and recipient duct diameters) and relevant laboratory data both pre-and post-endotherapy were studied. Favourable response to endotherapy was defined as symptomatic relief with > 80% reduction in total bilirubin/serum gamma glutamyl transferase. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0.RESULTS Forty-one patients were included(age: 8-63 years). All had right lobe LDLT with duct-to-duct anastomosis. Twenty patients(48.7%) had favourable response to endotherapy. Patients with single duct anastomosis, aggressive stent therapy(multiple endoscopic retrogradecholagiography, upsizing of stents, dilatation and longer duration of stents) and an initial favourable response to endotherapy were independent predictors of good outcome(P < 0.05). Older donor age, HAT, multiple ductal anastomosis and persistent bile leak(> 4 wk post LT) were found to be significant predictors of poor response on multivariate analysis(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Endoscopic therapy with aggressive stent therapy especially in patients with single duct-to-duct anastomosis was associated with a better outcome. Multiple ductal anastomosis, older donor age, shorter duration of stent therapy, early bile leak and HAT were predictors of poor outcome with endotherapy in these patients.