Biliary reconstruction during right lobe living donor liver transplantation: state of the problem, options and classification

Objective. To study the features and results of biliary reconstruction in right lobe living donor liver transplantation. To propose a classification of biliary reconstruction, which allows reflecting all its existing and possible variants, taking into account the anatomy of the bile ducts of the graft and recipient and technical features of reconstruction.
Materials and methods. From May 2010 to June 2019 a retrospective and prospective analysis of the results of the right lobe living donor liver transplantation was performed for 256 recipients and their donors. One observation was excluded due to lack of data.
Results. When the right lobe liver transplantations were performed, grafts with two bile ducts requiring biliary reconstruction most often (52%) were observed, less often grafts with one duct (32%), three ducts (12%), four ducts (3%) and in one case five ducts (<1%) were observed. With the multiple nature of the ducts in 31 cases (12% of all operations) unification ductoplasty was used. Moreover, in the group of reconstructions with the presence of two ducts and in the group with the presence of three or more ducts ductoplasty was used with equal frequency – in 18% of cases. The duct-to-duct anastomoses was formed in 157 cases (61%), bilio-entero anastomoses – in 91 cases (36%) and the combined variant – only in 7 cases (3%). In the first variant (duct-to-duct) during reconstruction in 43 cases (27% of all formed duct-to-ducts, 17% of all transplants performed), the so-called high-order bile ducts (right or left lobar, as well as cystic bile ducts) were used. This article proposes a coding and classification system for the technical features of biliary reconstruction in right lobe living donor liver transplantation.
Conclusion. Right lobe living donor liver transplantation accompanied by high variability of the stage of biliary reconstruction, depending on the number of bile ducts in the graft, their condition and relative position. The analysis of our own material made it possible to propose a universal classification and coding method for the types of biliary reconstruction during right lobe living donor liver transplantation. The classification allows to reflect all existing options for biliary reconstruction, depending on the anatomy of the bile ducts of the graft and recipient, the technical features of its implementation. It also simplifies the analysis and statistical processing of the bile duct reconstruction stage in liver transplantation.

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