ADVANTAGES OF INFERIOR VENA-CAVAL FLOW PRESERVATION IN COMBINED TRANSPLANTATION OF THE LIVER AND HEART

Only a few cases of combined liver and heart transplantation have been reported in the literature, and no standard surgical procedure has ye t been established. We report the successful transplantation of both l iver and heart in a 28-year-old patient suffering from homozygous beta -thalassemia. We used Belghiti's technique of inferior vena caval flow preservation for liver transplantation, which avoids inferior vena ca va occlusion by a side-to-side caval anastomosis. Applied to combined liver and heart transplantation, preservation of caval flow during liv er transplantation may allow early discontinuation of cardiopulmonary bypass and, thus, minimize the general consequences of prolonged bypas s.