Ultrasound diagnostic after liver transplantation in late postoperative period

Abstract

Background:The determination of ultrasound criteria for assessing the condition of a liver transplant at various times of the postoperative period is paramount for the early diagnosis of complications. Methods: A comprehensive ultrasound examination of 12 patients after liver transplantation from a living donor (right lobe) after discharge from the hospital was analyzed. The duration of follow-up varied from 1 month to 2 years. The average age of the recipients was 49±12 years. There were seven females and four males among them. Ultrasound was performed after discharge from the hospital once a month for the first 3 months, then once every 3 months. Results: As a result of dynamic ultrasound monitoring, the following types of pathologies of the transplanted liver were identified. Signs of partial portal vein stenosis were found in one (8.3%) recipient. The patient was referred for a CT scan. Local accumulation of bile on the medial surface of the graft was found in one (8.3%) patient 1.5 months after liver transplantation. The presence of biloma confirmed after undergoing a CT scan. Signs of biliary hypertension in the form of expansion of intrahepatic bile ducts were found in three (25%) recipients. At the same time, in two patients, further examination revealed laboratory signs of cholestasis and confirmed the presence of biliary anastomosis stenosis during MRI. And one patient had no other clinical signs of cholestasis, the patient was under dynamic observation. Conclusions: Ultrasound examination of patients after liver transplantation is a simple and basic research method that allows timely and reliable assessment of the condition of the transplant in the posttransplant period and allows effective monitoring of recipients. Assessment of the condition of blood vessels and bile ducts allows you to reliably diagnose the development of complications.