Relationship Between Perioperative Factors and Splenic Artery Steal Syndrome After Orthotopic Liver Transplant: A Retrospective Clinical Study

Objectives: After orthotopic liver transplant, ischemia of biliary tract and graft loss may occur due to impaired hepatic arterial blood flow. This situation with hypersplenism and impaired hepatic arterial blood flow is defined as splenic artery steal syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between perioperative factors and splenic artery steal syndrome in orthotopic liver transplant patients. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplant between 2014 and 2022 were included in the study. The data for the patients were obtained from the hospital database, including the intraoperative anesthesiology and postoperative intensive care records. Results: Eleven patients were diagnosed with splenic artery steal syndrome. Patients with splenic artery steal syndrome had higher need for intraoperative vasopressor agents (P = .016) and exhibited lower intraoperative urine output (P = .031). In the postoperative intensive care follow-up, patients with splenic artery steal syndrome had higher levels of C-reactive protein during the first 48 hours (P = .030). Conclusions: Intraoperative administration of vasopressor drugs, low urine output, and early postoperative high C-reactive protein levels were associated with the development of splenic artery steal syndrome in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplant. Future studies should focus on investigation of biomarkers associated systemic hypoperfusion that may contribute to the development of splenic artery steal syndrome.