Role of Computed Tomography in Detection of Early Postoperative Complications After Liver Transplantation
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Liver transplantation is a definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease and selected hepatic malignancies, but early postoperative complications remain important causes of graft dysfunction, morbidity, and mortality. Computed tomography provides rapid multidomain assessment of vascular, biliary, parenchymal, and extrahepatic abnormalities after transplantation. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of computed tomography in detecting early postoperative complications after liver transplantation. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 139 adult liver transplant recipients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT for transplant-related assessment or postoperative evaluation. Data regarding gender, transplant type, CT indication, and CT-detected vascular, biliary, parenchymal, and extrahepatic complications were analyzed using descriptive statistics and subgroup comparisons by gender and transplant type. Results: The cohort included 77 males (55.4%) and 62 females (44.6%); 77 recipients (55.4%) underwent DDLT and 62 (44.6%) underwent LDLT. CT was performed for pre-transplant assessment in 74 patients (53.2%) and post-transplant evaluation in 65 patients (46.8%). Biliary complications were detected in 72 patients (51.8%), vascular complications in 71 (51.1%), parenchymal complications in 66 (47.5%), and extrahepatic complications in 58 (41.7%). No statistically significant association was observed between complication occurrence and gender or transplant type. Conclusion: CT is a valuable imaging modality for comprehensive early detection of post-liver transplant complications and supports timely clinical decision-making
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
1. Vernuccio F, Mercante I, Tong XX, Crimì F, Cillo U, Quaia E. Biliary complications after liver transplantation: a computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging pictorial review. World J Gastroenterol. 2023;29(21):3257-3268.
2. Khot R, Morgan MA, Nair RT, et al. Radiologic findings of biliary complications post liver transplantation. Abdom Radiol. 2023;48(1):166-185.
3. Öztürk M, Dağ N, Sığırcı A, Yılmaz S. Evaluation of early and late complications of pediatric liver transplantation with multi-slice computed tomography. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2021.
4. Yen LH, Sabatino JC. Imaging complications of liver transplantation: a multimodality pictorial review. Abdom Radiol. 2021;46(6):2444-2457.
5. Delgado-Moraleda JJ, Ballester-Vallés C, Marti-Bonmati L. Role of imaging in the evaluation of vascular complications after liver transplantation. Insights Imaging. 2019;10:78.
6. Zhong J, Smith C, Walker P, et al. Imaging post liver transplantation part I: vascular complications. Clin Radiol. 2020;75(11):845-853.
7. Abdelaziz O. Multi-slice CT imaging of post-transplant complications after living donor liver transplantation. Egypt J Radiol Nucl Med. 2013.
8. Girometti R, Zuiani C. Post-operative imaging in liver transplantation: state-of-the-art. World J Gastroenterol. 2014;20(20):6180-6194.
9. Kimura Y, et al. Liver transplant complications radiologist can’t miss. Cureus. 2020.
10. Piardi T, et al. Vascular complications following liver transplantation. World J Gastroenterol. 2016.
11. Andrews JC, et al. Vascular complications following liver transplantation. Clin Imaging Sci. 2004.
12. Bhargava P. Imaging of orthotopic liver transplantation: review. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2011.
13. Drudi FM, Pagliara E, Cantisani V, et al. Post-transplant hepatic complications: imaging findings. Clin Imaging Sci. 2011.
14. Role of MDCT in the detection of early abdominal complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. Clin Imaging. 2016;40(6):1200-1206.
15. Quiroga S. Complications of orthotopic liver transplantation. Radiographics. 2001.
16. Moy BT, Birk JW. A review on the management of biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation. J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2019.
17. Daniel K, Said A. Early biliary complications after liver transplantation. Clin Liver Dis. 2017.
18. Balderramo D, Bordas JM, Sendino O, et al. Complications after ERCP in liver transplant recipients. Gastrointest Endosc. 2011.
19. Kinner S, Schubert TB, Said A, et al. Added value of gadoxetic acid-enhanced T1-weighted MR cholangiography. Eur Radiol. 2017.
20. Abdel-Wahab M, et al. Vascular and biliary complications after liver transplantation: imaging diagnosis. Eur Radiol. 2018.
21. Uzochukwu LN, Bluth EI, Smetherman DH, et al. Early postoperative hepatic sonography as a predictor of complications. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2005.
22. Singh AK, Nachiappan AC, Verma HA, et al. Post-operative imaging in liver transplantation: what radiologists should know. Radiographics. 2010.
23. Crossin JD, Muradali D, Wilson SR. US of liver transplants: normal and abnormal. Radiographics. 2003.
24. Iqbal M, Sial A. Knowledge, Health Practices and Policies for Hepatitis for Midwifery and Nurses in Allied and District Hospital Faisalabad. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research. 2023 Dec 3;3(2):286-92.
25. Iqbal M, Sial A. Early Child Marriages, Unintended Pregnancies, and its impact on the Health of Young Girls in South Punjab. Journal of Health and Rehabilitation Research. 2023 Dec 3;3(2):272-9.
26. García-Criado A, et al. Doppler ultrasound assessment after liver transplantation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2003.
27. Horrow MM, Blumenthal BM, Reich DJ. Sonographic diagnosis of hepatic artery thrombosis after transplantation. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2007.
28. Pareja E, et al. Vascular complications after orthotopic liver transplantation: hepatic artery thrombosis. Transplant Proc. 2010.
29. Role of imaging and intervention in liver transplantation. Liver Transpl. 2006;12(6).
30. Buros C, Dave AA, Furlan A. Immediate and late complications after liver transplantation. Radiol Clin North Am. 2023.
31. Wang C, Tang L, Zhang F, et al. Predicting biliary stricture after liver transplantation based on CT imaging. BMC Med Imaging. 2025.
32. Brookmeyer R, et al. Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm after liver transplantation. Radiographics. 2022.
33. Sureka B, et al. Imaging panorama in postoperative complications after liver transplantation. Gastroenterol Res. 2016.