What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore how preoperative pulmonary hypertension affects postoperative vascular and biliary complications in liver transplant patients.

January 10, 2026Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology0 citationsOpen Access

The relationship between preoperative pulmonary hypertension risk in liver transplant and vascular and biliary complications in the postoperative period

BYBurak YağdıranBaşkent University CUCan Ugochkwu UcheharaBaşkent University AŞAdem ŞafakBaşkent University

Key Result

Preoperative pulmonary hypertension is associated with a higher risk of portal vein complications in patients undergoing liver transplantation.

Key Points

The aim is to explore how preoperative pulmonary hypertension affects postoperative vascular and biliary complications in liver transplant patients.
Analyzed the mediator balance changes in pulmonary hypertension.
Assessed the relationship between pulmonary hypertension and graft vascularity in liver transplant patients.
Investigated the incidence of portal vein complications post-surgery.
Pulmonary hypertension is linked to increased risks of vascular complications after liver transplant.
Patients with pulmonary hypertension show a higher rate of portal vein complications after surgery.

Structured PICO

Does preoperative pulmonary hypertension increase the risk of postoperative vascular and biliary complications in patients undergoing liver transplantation?

Population

265 patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) between 2017 and 2024, median age 8.0 years, 55.1% male, 83.8% living donor. Key exclusions: LT procedures performed due to acute liver failure, cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma), and missing data.

Intervention

Preoperative pulmonary hypertension (PHT) risk/level (mild, moderate, or severe) determined by systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) via preoperative transthoracic echocardiography.

Comparator

Patients without preoperative pulmonary hypertension (normal sPAP < 38 mmHg).

Outcome

Vascular complications (thrombosis, bleeding, stenosis, and occlusion in the hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic veins) and biliary system complications in the early postoperative period, identified via computed tomography (CT) scans.hard clinical

Preoperative moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension in liver transplant candidates is independently associated with a nearly four-fold increased risk of postoperative portal vein complications.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%

Abstract

Changes in mediator balance in PHT lead to systemic vascular remodeling and, consequently, systemic vasoconstriction. We believe that this condition may negatively affect graft vascularity in patients undergoing LT, thereby increasing vascular and biliary complications. This study found that PHT is associated with the risk of portal vein complications.

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