Prognostic value of ultrasound in early arterial complications post liver transplant

Liver transplantation is the primary therapeutic intervention for end-stage liver disease.However,vascular complications,particularly those involving the hepatic artery,pose significant risks to patients.The clinical manifestations associated with early arterial complications following liver transplantation are often non-specific.Without timely intervention,these complications can result in graft fai-lure or patient mortality.Therefore,early diagnosis and the formulation of an op-timal treatment plan are imperative.Ultrasound examination remains the pre-dominant imaging modality for detecting complications post liver transplan-tation.This article comprehensively reviews common causes and clinical present-ations of early hepatic artery complications in the post-transplantation period and delineates abnormal sonographic findings for accurate diagnosis of these con-ditions.Overall,ultrasound offers the advantages of convenience,safety,effect-iveness,and non-invasiveness.It enables real-time,dynamic,and precise evalua-tion,making it the preferred diagnostic method for post-liver transplantation assessments.INTRODUCTION Liver transplantation stands as the primary therapeutic approach for end-stage liver disease.Continuous advancements in surgical techniques and the application of novel immunosuppressive agents contribute to ongoing improvements in the success rate and overall survival in patients undergoing liver transplantation procedures.Despite these advan-cements,vascular complications,particularly those involving the hepatic artery,pose significant risks to patients.During the early stages following liver transplantation(within the first 30 d),proper hepatic artery function is crucial for hepatic arterial blood flow.During later stages,collateral circulation,including arteries such as the phrenic artery,right gastric artery,and gastroduodenal artery,becomes important for maintaining hepatic blood supply.It is now understood that the establishment of effective collateral circulation is pivotal for determining the prognosis of hepatic artery complic-ations.The clinical manifestations of these complications are closely linked to factors such as timing,severity,and the specific type of onset.Insufficient hepatic arterial blood flow can lead to abnormal liver function,hepatic infarction,and the formation of hepatic abscesses.Additionally,since the hepatic artery is the sole blood supply to the biliary tract,hepatic artery-related ischemia may result in biliary stricture,obstruction,and the formation of bile ducts.Ultrasound examination remains the primary imaging modality for diagnosing complications post liver transplantation.This article comprehensively reviews common causes and clinical presentations of early hepatic artery complications in the post-transplantation period and outlines abnormal sonographic findings for accurately diagnosing these conditions.NORMAL HEPATIC ARTERY During the intraoperative phase,an ultrasound examination is typically conducted to evaluate the hepatic artery anas-tomosis.The normal internal diameter of the hepatic artery typically ranges from 2 to 5 mm.Two strong echo points are typically identified near the anastomosis.To assess blood flow dynamics,peak systolic velocity,end-diastolic velocity,and resistance index are measured at the donor and recipient sides of the anastomosis following angle correction.Anastomotic stenosis presence and severity can be evaluated by comparing the velocity at the anastomotic site with that at the recipient side.Postoperatively,direct visualization of the anastomosis site through gray ultrasound scans is often challenging.The surgical approach has a significant impact on the proper hepatic artery’s position,resulting in a lower overall success rate of continuous visualization.Color Doppler ultrasound is primarily employed to trace the artery’s path,and spectral measurements are taken at the brightest position of the Color Doppler blood flow signal,primarily used to identify the presence of high-speed turbulence.Hepatic artery spectrum examination plays a crucial role,as a favorable arterial spectral waveform and appropriate hepatic artery flow velocity typically indicate a successful anastomosis,even in cases where the hepatic artery anastomosis cannot be directly visualized by ultrasound.The hepatic artery runs alongside the portal vein,often selected as a reference due to its larger inner diameter.A normal hepatic artery spectrum displays a regular pulsation pattern with a rapid rise in systole and a slow decline in diastole.Parameters for assessing hepatic artery resistance include a resistance index between 0.5 to 0.8 and an artery systolic acceleration of less than 80 ms.Instantaneous increases in the resistance index(RI>0.8)often occur within 2 d after surgery,followed by a subsequent return to normal hepatic arterial parameters.It has been established that the maximum blood flow velocity during systole in the hepatic artery should not exceed 200 cm/s[1].

Diagnostic value of contrast enhanced ultrasound for splenic artery complications following acute pancreatitis

AIM: To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing splenic artery complications (SACs) after acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: One hundred and eighteen patients with AP were enrolled in the study. All patients were examined by CEUS and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). CECT was accepted as a gold standard for the diagnosis of SACs in AP. The diagnostic accuracy of splenic CEUS and pancreatic CEUS was compared with that of CECT. Splenic infarction was the diagnostic criterion for splenic artery embolism and local dysperfusion of the splenic parenchyma was the diagnostic criterion for splenic arterial stenosis. The incidence of splenic sub-capsular hemorrhage, splenic artery aneurysms, and splenic rupture was all lower than that of SACs. RESULTS: Nine patients were diagnosed as having SACs after AP by CECT among the 118 patients. The patients with SACs were diagnosed with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Among them, 6 lesions were diagnosed as splenic artery embolism, 5 as splenic artery aneurysms, and 1 as splenic arterial stenosis. No lesion was diagnosed by pancreatic CEUS and 5 lesions were diagnosed by splenic CEUS. By splenic CEUS, 4 cases were diagnosed as splenic artery embolism and 1 as splenic arterial stenosis. The accuracy of splenic CEUS in diagnosis of SACs in SAP was 41.7% (5/12), which was higher than that of pancreatic CEUS (0%). CONCLUSION: Splenic CEUS is a supplementary method for pancreatic CEUS in AP patients, which can decrease missed diagnosis of SACs. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.

Predictive value of SinoSCORE on in-hospital mortality and postoperative complications after coronary artery bypass surgery

Objective To evaluate the performance of the Sino System for Coronary Operative Risk Evaluation (SinoSCORE) on in hospital mortality and postoperative complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in a single heart center. Methods From January 2007 to December 2008,clinical information of 201 consecutive patients undergoing isolated CABG in our hospital was collected. The SinoSCORE was used to

Bronchial Artery Embolization for Hemoptysis： A Retrospective Observational Study of 344 Patients

Background：Hemoptysis is a significant clinical entity with high morbidity and potential mortality.Both medical management （in terms of resuscitation and bronchoscopic interventions） and surgery have severe limitations in these patients population.Bronchial artery embolization （BAE） represents the first-line treatment for hemoptysis.This article discusses clinical analysis,embolization approach,outcomes and complications of BAE for the treatment of hemoptysis.Methods：A retrospective analysis of 344 cases,who underwent bronchial arteriography at Tianjin Haihe Hospital between 2006 and 2013.Several aspects of outcome were analyzed：Demographics,clinical presentation,radiographic studies,results,complications and follow-up of BAE.Results：Three hundred and forty-four consecutive patients underwent bronchial arteriography,336 of 344 patients （97.7%） performed BAE; there were 1530 coils for 920 arteries embolized; the main responsible sources for bleeding were right bronchial artery （29.7%）,left bronchial artery （21.6%）,combined right and left bronchial trunk （18.4%）,right intercostal arteries （13.3%）; 61 patients （17.7%） had recurrent hemoptysis within 1 month after undergoing BAE,74 patients （21.5%） had recurrent hemoptysis over 1 month after undergoing BAE; The common complications of BAE included subintimal dissection,arterial perforation by a guide wire,fever,chest pain,dyspnea,etc.The follow-up was completed in 248 patients,28 patients had been dead,21 patients still bleed,92 patients had lost to follow-up.Conclusions：The technique of BAE is a relatively safe and effective method for controlling hemoptysis.The complications of BAE are rare.Although the long-term outcome in some patients is not good,BAE may be the only life-saving treatment option in patients who are poor surgical candidates.

A Procedure of Combination of Sequential Internal Thoracic Artery Grafting and Cooley's Technique for Complicated Case With Multi-vessel Disease,Left Ventricular Aneurysm and Mitral Regurgitation

INTRODUCTIONLeft ventricular aneurysm and ischemic mitral regurgitation are two of most common complications of acute myocardial infarction （AMI）. Combination of both these two fatal complications is not rare and the management of these complicated cases is always a challenge to cardiac surgeon because of its relatively high mortality. We reported a rare case of AMI in which a singlestage correction of mitral valve replacement with preservation of mitral apparatus, sequential left internal thoracic artery （ITA） grafting and Cooley＇s technique.