Variations of hepatic veins: Helical computerized tomography experience in 100 consecutive living liver donors with emphasis on right lobe

Anatomical variations in the venous system of liver are not a rarity. A prospective helical computerized tomography (CT) study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of surgically significant hepatic venous anatomic variations among 100 consecutive living liver donors. The studies evaluated the ramification pattern of hepatic veins, the presence of accessory hepatic veins, and of segment 5 or 8 veins (or both) draining into middle hepatic vein. These data obtained by CT influenced surgical planning. Sixty-four donors donated their right lobes and 24 donors, left lateral segments. Only one donor candidate was refused due to combined hepatic and portal venous variations accompanied by multiple bile ducts. Eleven donors were also refused due to reasons other than anatomical variations. Seventeen segment 5 and 17 segment 8 veins draining into middle hepatic vein were anastomosed to inferior vena cava in 23 (36%) of the right lobe liver transplantations. The middle hepatic vein was harvested in only one of the donors. Among the 100 cases, 47 had accessory right inferior hepatic veins, 13 of which were multiple. Twenty-two of the right lobe grafts required surgical anastomoses of these accessory hepatic veins (34%). An isolated hepatic vein anomaly or the presence of accessory hepatic veins are not contraindications to be a living liver donor candidate. However, preoperative knowledge of vascular variations alters surgical management. Helical CT is a valuable tool to delineate the hepatic venous anatomy for surgical planning in living liver donors.