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A Faenza

Publications and source records attributed to A Faenza.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Combined liver transplants: main characteristics from the standpoint of anesthesia and support in intensive care.

Combined transplants with the liver represent a small number of associated pathologies with little chance of resolving with a single transplant. The small case number prevents us from establishing homogeneous criteria for the procedure. The insertion of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease in the preoperative evaluation of the patients awaiting liver transplant has definitely increased the number of combined liver-kidney transplants, which have reached more significant numbers. The number of heart-liver transplants is still too low to establish the efficacy of the measure. The multiorgan transplant with the liver represents a rare event entrusted to a series of case reports, each one of which has a history unto itself. Our experience in this field includes 14 combined liver-kidney, six combined heart-liver, and two multiorgan transplants with liver among 36 intestine transplants. We have examined the main pre-, intra-, and postsurgical problems for each one of these transplants, particularly relating to the anesthetic and intensive-care aspects.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed2006

Combined liver-kidney transplantation with preformed anti-HLA antibodies: a case report.

A pretransplant positive cross-match is a contraindication for kidney transplantation, unlike in liver transplantation (OLT). In combined liver kidney transplantation (LKT) it is hypothesized that liver can protect kidney from rejection. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman on renal replacement therapy with gastrointestinal tract compression due to a hematoma following spontaneous liver rupture (May 2004). She was affected by amyloidosis, treated with a bone marrow autotransplantation (2001). The liver rupture was surgically untreatable, so an LKT was proposed. Panel-reactive antibody was 80% to 100% (complement dependent cytotoxicity) with specific anti-HLA antibodies (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). A compatible donor was found (July 2004). The cross-match before LKT was positive for B and T cells (score 8): an emergency OLT was performed. Immediately after liver reperfusion the cross-match result was less positive (6) for T cells. After 6 hours it was negative for T and slightly positive for B cells (4): the kidney was transplanted. The immunosuppressive therapy was: alemtuzumab, steroids, and tacrolimus. Renal function immediately recovered. On day 7 a rejection episode was successfully treated by increasing steroids (intravenous bolus). At discharge hepatic and renal function were normal (creatinine 1 mg/dL). They are stable after 1 year. This case showed LKT efficacy even in complex immunological situations. Many immunological mechanisms, still not defined, are hypothesized about the protective role of the liver. This case confirmed experimental data that highlighted that in vivo in humans a cross-match can change from positive to negative after OLT giving highly sensitized patients the possibility for LKT.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Combined liver-kidney transplantation: the experience of the University of Bologna and the case of preoperative positive cross-match.

Combined liver and kidney transplantation (CLKT) has been increasingly used in recent years: 13 of our 19 cases were performed in the last 2 years being 3.2% of our liver transplantation (LT) and kidney transplantation (KT) activity. Only three of them were not on hemodialysis and the scheduling of a CLKT meant being at the top of the waiting list. We accepted only ideal donors and had no case of liver and only one case of kidney delayed graft function. Two deaths occurred during the first postoperative month, due to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiorgan failure, both in patients with adult polycystic disease who were in poor nutritional condition due to a late indication for CLKT. We had two late deaths, one due to a native kidney tumor at 7 years and one at 8 years due to alcoholic cirrhosis recurrence. The late survival of our patients was 77.3% with all surviving patients showing good liver and kidney function. We planned not to do the KT in the case of a positive preoperative cross-match; but the only positive case became negative 8 hours after LT when we performed the KT. The patient is well after 2 years. The liver does not always protect the kidney if there are preformed antibodies, but we should try every possible technique not to lose the possibility of doing both transplants, because in case of LT alone the patients loses his top position on the CLKT waiting list and often waits years for a kidney.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Combined liver-kidney transplantation--S. Orsola experience: nephrological aspects.

Combined liver kidney transplantation (LKT) has the potential to provide a complete recovery of liver and kidney failure; the literature reports an increase in LKT in the last few years and an improvement in patient and graft survival. In our experience 15 patients underwent LKT from 1997 to 2005. The mean age was 50 +/- 9 years (range 34 to 63). The patients were affected by viral (n = 9), alcoholic (n = 1), polycystic (n = 2), cholangitis (n = 1), cholestatic (n = 1), or amyloidotic (n = 1) chronic hepatopathy. Chronic renal failure (CRF) was due to polycystic kidney disease (n = 4), IgA (n = 2), interstitial nephropathy (n = 2), glomerulonephritis (n = 4), amyloidosis (n = 1), vascular nephropathy (n = 1), of unknown end-stage renal disease (n = 1). Twelve of 15 patients were on renal dialysis treatment, three patients had moderate/severe CRF. Two patients had previously been transplanted (kidney). All patients were selected based upon blood group identity and negative cross-match before kidney transplant. Histocompatibility matching (HLA) was not included in the selection criteria. We did not observe delayed graft function. After a mean follow-up was 23 +/- 32 months (range 5 to 99), 12 subjects show, normal hepatic and renal function. At the beginning of our experience two patients in bad clinical condition died within 3 months because of sepsis, and one died because of a malignancy after 7 years. Both organs were functioning well in the deceased patients. Survival analysis confirms LKT efficacy: at 5 years follow-up patient survival is 86%, graft survival censored for death 100%. Only two subjects had an acute rejection episode in the first year; the kidney rejection incidence was lower than that reported for an isolated kidney transplant (13% vs 21%).

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The first case of ureteral duplication in a combined liver-kidney transplantation.

AIM: Kidney transplantation with ureteral duplication may represent a doubled risk factor in terms of ureteral stenosis or necrosis with urinary leakage usually from the site of ureteroneocystostomy. The incidence of complete duplication is very low at 0.19%. We report a kidney with ureteral duplication in the specific setting of multiorgan transplantation since it could be considered an adjunctive risk factor for urological complications. METHODS: The recipient was a 67-year old man, suffering from terminal renal insufficiency. He was also affected by HCV-related cirrhosis. The patient had been waiting for the combined transplantation for 27 months and in the last two months his hepatic function dramatically worsened. The donor was a 53-year old man who died of non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Good HLA compatibility was observed between donor and recipient. During harvest both kidneys presented a complete ureteral duplication. So the ureters were freed together with a wide cuff of periureteral tissue and dissected distally. No vascular abnormalities were noted during the removal of either kidney. The grafts were flushed with University of Wisconsin solution and stored in the same solution. RESULTS: The liver was reperfused after 9 hours of cold ischemia. Subsequently the kidney was vascularized after 15 hours of cold ischemia. Urine production occurred immediately after revascularization. Two separated ureteroneocystostomies with a single antireflux technique were performed. Cyclosporine and steroids were given. Post-operative course was uneventful and liver and kidney function were normal. The 7-day cystography was normal. The 6, 12, 24 month ultrasonographies showed no signs of hydronephrosis or hydroureter. After 28 months renal cancer was diagnosed and the patient underwent a right nephrectomy. The liver-kidney recipient had excellent hepatic and renal function for 84.7 months. He died of malignancy from de novo tumor. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of this experience, a kidney with an ureteral duplication, while rare, can be satisfactorily used also in combined liver-kidney transplantation.

Comorbidity↗
PubMed2006

Double kidney transplantation: initial experience of the Bologna Transplant Center.

AIM: Double-kidney transplantation is performed using organs from marginal donors with a histological score not suitable for single kidney transplantation. The aim of the study is to verify the results obtained with double-kidney transplantation in terms of graft and patient survival and complications. METHODS: Between September 2001 and September 2004, 16 double-kidney transplantations were performed in our center. The kidneys were all perfused with Celsior solution and the mean cold ischemia time was 17.6+/-2.7 hours. In all cases a pre-transplant kidney biopsy was performed to evaluate the damage. Immunosuppression was tacrolimus based for all patients. RESULTS: Eight patients had good renal postoperative function while the other eight had acute tubular necrosis. Two of the patients who had severe acute tubular necrosis never recovered renal function. There was only one episode of acute rejection, while the incidence of urinary complications was 31.2%; there were two surgical revisions for intestinal perforation. The graft and recipient survival was 78.1% and 100% and 78.1% and 93.7% at 3 and 36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Double-kidney transplantation is a safe way to face the organ shortage. Moreover the score used in this study is useful to determine whether a kidney should be refused or suitable for single or dual-kidney transplantation. The results of our initial experience are encouraging, but this series is too small in number to consent a conclusive statement.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Combined liver-kidney transplantation: experience at Bologna's transplant center.

BACKGROUND: The results obtained for combined liver-kidney transplantation (CLKT) are reported. METHODS: From 1997 to 2003 six procedures were performed in patients with polycystic disease (n = 2), chronic glomerulonephritis associated with HCV cirrhosis (n = 2), chronic interstitial nephritis associated with cirrhosis HCV + alcohol (n = 1), and subacute hepatitis caused by drugs (n = 1). The average age of patients was 55 years (5 M and 1 F). The liver transplants were performed using the piggyback technique except in the two polycystic patients, for whom a conventional technique was used. The immunosuppressive therapy was based on cyclosporine in five patients and tacrolimus in one patient. RESULTS: The average blood transfusion was 3670 mL, with larger consumption in the two polycystic cases. Graft function immediately after operation was satisfactory. There were two cases of liver and kidney rejection. In one case, a cardiac arrest occurred during the operation with neurologic consequences. The postoperative complications were cyclosporine neurotoxicity (n = 1), pleuric empyema treated with surgical drainage (n = 1), and CMV infection (n = 1). Four years after CLKT, one patient underwent nephrectomy for a de novo tumor. Of the six patients, four are in good general condition whereas the two polycystic disease patients died within 1 month from transplantation due to ARDS and MOF, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the worst results of CLKT occurred among patients with polycystic disease, a more rigorous selection is necessary.

Blood Transfusion↗
PubMed2004

Utilization of suboptimal kidney donors.

In recent years over 30% of cadaver donors utilized in the Emilia Romagna (ER) region are over 60 years of age often with some additional risk factors. The organs of these Suboptimal Kidney Donors (SOKD) had been seldomly accepted from 1996 to 1999 (Group 1). From 2000, marking the beginning of use of double transplantation for marginal kidneys, a routine biopsy was performed for SOKD using the Score System proposed by Remuzzi. (Group 2) The 40% of marginal kidneys harvested were utilize in 76% of cases. The few biopsies available for Group 1 patients testify that good kidneys had been discarded, but even in Group 2, when we followed the biopsy Score, strictly several mistakes were suspected: kidneys discarded for an unbelievable difference of 2 points between two kidneys of the same size, cases with an high score based on only a few glomeruli, double kidney transplants that become single and still had fair functions. In the future the utilization of SOKD should probably be improved: (1) with scores only based on a biopsy specimen with more than 25 glomeruli, (2) a score system for incorporating clinical data, and (3) continuous perfusion preservation of kidneys whose characteristics provide some more information that may mitigate some of the damage of marginal donor kidneys.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of the resistive index (RI) for the diagnosis of acute renal rejection in renal allografts from the same donor.

PURPOSE: To investigate the importance of the resistive index (RI) in the diagnosis of acute renal rejection, compared with the RI of the twin kidney from the same donor, transplanted in two different patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January to December 2000, we studied retrospectively 25 pairs (50 patients) of renal allografts from the same donor considering the RI obtained with by eco color-Doppler ultrasound, daily diuresis and renal function (serum creatinine level) in the first six days following surgery. Improvement of diuresis and renal function after corticosteroid therapy was considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of acute rejection. RESULTS: Medical complications (acute renal rejection) in the first six days were occurred in three cases, two in the first transplanted kidney as first and one in the second; all three cases showed disappearance of the diastolic waveform component. Considering a RI variation >0.15 with respect to the initial value, the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy in the Doppler diagnosis of acute rejection were 100%, 97.1% and 97.3% respectively, with a prevalence of 7.8%. There were no statistically significant correlations between the RI variation of the renal transplant and the twin kidney from the same donor. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Doppler ultrasound is an important diagnostic tool in the detection of medical complications in the immediate postoperative period and during renal transplant follow-up. RI analysis, when studied serially and in the right clinical settings, allows an early diagnosis of renal rejection with high sensibility and specificity.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed2002

Kidney preservation in pigs with University of Wisconsin and Celsior solution.

BACKGROUND: Although University of Wisconsin (UW) solution continues to be the most commonly used for intra-abdominal organs a new solution, Celsior, already utilized for heart and lungs, has been proposed for kidney and liver preservation. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of Celsior compared to UW on the immediate graft function of pig autotransplanted kidneys. METHODS: We used an autotransplantation pig model to avoid immunological interferences. After harvesting the graft was immediately bench perfused through the renal artery with 200 cc of solution and preserved for 24, 32 and 48 hrs. After cold ischemia grafts were autotransplanted on cava vein and aorta and a ureteral-ureteral anastomosis was performed. Contralateral nephrectomy was carried out at the end of this procedure. Each experimental group was composed of 5 animals. All animals were sacrificed after 1 week. RESULTS: All animals with 24 hr and 32 hr preserved grafts survived up to sacrifice; kidney function was recovered in all animals of 24 hr groups and in most of the animals of 32 hr preserved grafts (4/5) without any differences between the 2 solutions. In Celsior and UW 48 hr groups only 5 animals survived (3 and 2, respectively) and in all these animals kidney function was not totally recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that preservation of kidneys with the Celsior solution in the experimental setting is equivalent to UW solution.

Adenosine↗
PubMed2001

Kidney preservation with university of Wisconsin and Celsior solution: a prospective multicenter randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Although the University of Wisconsin (U.W.) solution continues to be the most commonly used for intra-abdominal organs, a new solution, Celsior, already used for heart and lungs, has been proposed for kidney and liver preservation. The aim of this research was to assess the effect of Celsior as compared with U.W. on immediate graft function and a 2-year follow-up of kidney transplants. METHODS: A prospective multicenter randomized study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the Celsior solution in the clinical preservation of the kidney. In this report, we present the data collected as of September 2000. One hundred donors were included in the trial resulting in 187 renal transplants. Ninety-nine kidneys were stored in Celsior solution and 88 in U.W. solution. The groups were comparable with regard to donor and recipient characteristics. RESULTS: Delayed graft function occurred in 31.3% of the Celsior group and in 33.9% of the U.W. group (P=n.s.). Mean serum creatinine levels and mean daily urinary output were also comparable. Two year graft survival in kidneys preserved with Celsior was 84% as compared with 75% for U.W.-preserved kidneys without any significant statistical difference. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the preservation of kidneys in Celsior solution in a clinical setting is equivalent to that of U.W. solution. When using Celsior during multiple-organ donor harvesting it would be possible to perform an in situ flush of all intra-abdominal and intrathoracic organs with a single cold storage solution.

Adenosine↗
PubMed1999

Porcine living liver transplantation using a vascular prosthesis to replace the intrahepatic vena cava.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether the porcine model could be adapted to accommodate living donor liver transplantation (LLT). Because the pig hepatic anatomy precludes a standard approach, a study was designed to evaluate the results using a segment of vascular prosthesis to replace the intrahepatic portion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) with establishment of hepatic venous drainage into the graft. METHODS: A total of 10 LLT were performed using 20 pigs. After left hepatectomy, the intrahepatic IVC was replaced with a modified aorto-iliac prosthesis, anastomosing the proximal (aortic limb) to the infradiaphragmatic IVC, one distal iliac limb to infrahepatic IVC and the other (after shortening) to establish hepatic venous drainage after transplant. Conventional venous bypass was used, and no immunosuppressives were administered. RESULTS: All donors survived the 10-day posthepatectomy observation period. Eight of the 10 transplanted pigs survived at least 2 days (mean 7.6 days; range 3-13 days). No evidence of caval graft thrombosis was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Replacement of the recipient intrahepatic IVC by a vascular prosthesis allows to overcome the major technical obstacle which has limited the use of pigs in LLT.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1999

Ureteral stenosis after kidney transplantation. A study on 869 consecutive transplants.

Ureteral obstruction with impaired urine flow is the most common urological complication following renal transplantation. From December 1976 to December 1997, 869 kidney grafts were performed by our kidney transplantation group, 96 from living related donors and 773 from cadaver donors (736 first grafts and 37 regrafts). A stricture of the ureter (SU) was observed in 27 cases with a follow-up ranging from 18 months to 18 years after the graft and 11 months to 11 years after the treatment of the SU. In six patients, SU was immediately apparent and limited to the anastomosis: they were obviously technical flaws. In all the other patients, there was a free interval ranging from 2 months to 11 years after surgery; the SU usually involved the entire ureter, suggesting multiple etiologies. Repeated urinary infections could be a cause but immunological problems might be more determinant. In our series, acute rejection was more common than chronic so that the correction of SU was followed in many cases by a good and long lasting result (up to 11 years). In our experience, SU was not a dangerous complication even in patients in whom for different reasons (mainly refusal of treatment) the therapy was delayed - even if anuria occurred, no case of graft loss or serious damage were observed. At the beginning of our experience, the diagnosis of SU was based on urography, and therapy has always been re-operation. For 15 years, the diagnosis of SU has been based on routine echographic surveillance, which was intensified after each rejection, and the first treatment of SU in the last 8 years was re-operation in early technical SU and interventional radiology (balloon dilatation with or without temporary stent) in other cases. When it failed or in case of recurrence, surgical correction was performed utilizing the native ipsilateral or contralateral ureter for a uretero-ureterostomy.

HLA-DR Antigens↗
PubMed1992

Phosphate removal by resin hemoperfusion efficacy and biocompatibility of a new exchange resin.

A new coated anionic exchange resin for blood purification specifically designed to remove phosphates was experimentally employed in animals. 3 pigs, in which uremia had been surgically induced, underwent 6 extracorporeal hemoperfusion sessions (2 per pig) with a cartridge containing 100 gr of resin. The phosphate clearance proved satisfactory, values being 120 ml/min after 10' and around 80 ml/min after 2 hours. The biocompatibility of the resin and of the coating membrane was satisfactory. The negligible variation in pH and plasma bicarbonate during all sessions confirmed the low absorption by the tested resin of other blood anions competing with phosphate.

Animals↗