Is preservation of middle hepatic vein tributaries during right hemi-hepatectomy beneficial for live donor liver transplantation?

Abstract

Background/Aims: When right hemi-hepatectomy without middle hepatic vein (MHV) is performed in a living donor (LD), MHV tributaries such as V5 and V8 may be preserved during parenchymal transection to preserve liver function and reduce the damage of the graft. However, no study has so far investigated whether this preservation of MHV tributaries during parenchymal transection has impact on live donor operation or graft function. Methodology: Of 52 hepatectomies for right lobe LD, MHV tributaries were preserved during hepatic parenchymal transection in 11 cases, while, in the remaining 41 cases MHV tributaries were sacrificed when those were encountered during hepatic parenchymal transection. Results: There was no significant difference in blood loss, operative time, zenith liver enzyme level in a donor and rate of graft failure in a recipient. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that there was no significant effect of outflow preservation from MHV tributaries on LD hepatectomy for right lobe donation and subsequent liver transplantation.