An overview of the processes and things we do as anaesthesiologists while giving perioperative care for liver transplant recipients.
Key areas include preoperative assessment, focusing on different organ systems, intraoperative management with an emphasis on reperfusion , pros and cons of pre-emptive versus responsive pressors.
A quick recap of the postoperative areas of interest and ways to monitor effectively.
4. Neurologic
Cerebral edema -ALF
patient with fulminant hepatic failure, the basal cisterns are absent, and
there is loss of sulci and loss of differentiation between gray matter and white
matter due to diffuse brain swelling
5. Cardiac
AASLD recommend noninvasive
cardiac testing (either exercise stress
testing or pharmacologic stress
testing) for all adults being evaluated
for liver transplantation
Evaluation for liver transplantation in adults: 2013 practice guideline by
AASLD and the American Society of Transplantation. Hepatology 2014;
59:1144.
6. Cardiac
Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy
• impaired contractile
responsiveness to stress
and/or diastolic dysfunction
• QT prolongation, electro-
mechanical dyssynchrony,
and chronotropic
incompetence
• Dilated LA , N/dilated LV
11. Respiratory
Hepatopulmonary syndrome
• Panel A: apical four-chamber view before
injection of agitated saline (contrast);
• Panel B: apical four-chamber view after
contrast injection showing opacification of the
RA and RV.
• Panel C: apical four-chamber view showing
microbubbles within the LA and LV 5 heart
beats after its appearance in the right heart
European Journal of Echocardiography, Volume 8, Issue 5, October
2007
12. Renal
Hepatorenal
Syndrome
F, Leung W, Al Beshir M, Marquez M, Renner EL. Outcomes
of patients with cirrhosis and hepatorenal syndrome type 1
treated with liver transplantation. Liver Transplantation. 2015
Mar;21(3):300-7.
21. Monitoring
• removal of the native liver re-
anastomosis of the transplanted liver graft
• prior to vascular unclamping and
reperfusion
Hypotension
• Avoid fluids
• Vasoactive agents
Acidosis
• Bicabonate infusion
• Hyperventilation for brief period
Hyperkalemia
Hypocalcemia
• Insulin/Glucose, Bicarb
• CRRT
Coagulopathy
worsens
• Avoid transfusions unless
needed
22. Monitoring
• Desaturated/acidotic blood
• Il-6 and TNF alpha,
potassium, protons, and
intrahepatic cold
fluids/components
• Rapidly enter circulation
Portal vein
unclamping
• 30% decrease in mean
arterial blood pressure for
more than 1 minute during
the first 5 minutes after
reperfusion
• Risk of right heart failure
Post
Reperfusion
syndrome
• Manage hyperkalemia,
hypocalcemia
• Defib pads connected,
ready to go
Arrhythmias
24. Monitoring
Graft function
a rise in body temperature due to
increased metabolism
hyperglycaemia from enhanced
gluconeogenesis,
bile production,
normalization of coagulopathy,
lactate clearance
Vasculature
Ultrasound/Doppler
patent hepatic and portal
vasculatures
Check before weaning