Portal vein interposition using homologous iliac vein graft during extensive resection for hilar bile duct cancer

Although autologous vein grafts have been used for portal vein (PV) reconstruction after long-segment portal vein resection during surgery for hilar bile duct cancer, their procurement prolongs operation time and increases morbidity. Less is known regarding the use of homologous vein grafts. The feasibility of homografts for PV reconstruction was preliminarily evaluated in two patients who underwent curative resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Both patients underwent left lobectomy, caudate lobectomy, bile duct resection, and segmental PV resection and interposition vein graft reconstruction. The iliac vein homografts were obtained from deceased organ donors and stored for 1-2 days in cold preservation solution without freezing. Neither immunosuppression nor anticoagulation was attempted. One patient has shown good PV patency for 27 months. The second patient, who had received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, showed an asymptomatic waisting at the proximal PV anastomosis site after 4 months, which was relieved by percutaneous balloon dilatation, and has been doing well for 12 months. In conclusion, our preliminary experience with these two patients suggests that cold-stored iliac vein homografts can be considered as PV substitutes after long PV segment resection during extensive hepatobiliary surgery.