Portomesenteric disconnection for small-for-size grafts in liver transplantation: Preclinical studies in pigs.

This study reviews the evaluation and results of a new liver transplantation technique for small-for-size grafts with portomesenteric disconnection. Twenty Large-White pigs underwent heterotopic liver transplantation after a mesocaval shunt, ligation of the superior mesenteric vein downstream from the shunt, and ligation of the recipient portal vein near the native liver. The donor-to-recipient weight ratio was 24%, and the graft-to-recipient weight ratio was 0.