Title and Copyright:
Piggyback Liver Transplant, ©1999.

Media:
Pen and ink illustration.

Collaborator:
Michael Abecassis, MD; Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Northwestern University; Chicago, Illinois.

Description:
Piggyback liver transplantation technique where the recipient hepatectomy is altered to leave the recipient retrohepatic IVC in situ. Preparation for the piggyback cavo-cavo plasty begins by slitting the donor suprahepatic IVC vertically in the middle of the back wall. This is triangulated to match the triangulated hepatic vein opening on the recipient side. The donor IVC is anastomosed to the recipient IVC in a piggyback fashion. Finally, the liver is viewed after all the anastomoses have been completed from an anterior perspective.

Published as:
Abecassis MM, Blei AT, Flamm S, Fryer JP. Liver transplantation. In: Stuart FP, Abecassis MM, Kaufman DB, eds. Organ Transplantation. Georgetown: Landes Bioscience, 2000: 188.

Association of Medical Illustrators Salon. Atlanta, Georgia. July 29-August 1, 1999.