Surgical Complications

Abstract

Transplantation of the liver in children is one of the most remarkable developments of modern surgery and is associated with a favorable long-term outcome in most children who survive the first year after the transplantation. Late surgical and extrahepatic abdominal complications are relatively infrequent; often they can be managed with success, and the need for late retransplantation is low. In this setting, the transplant clinician must eventually keep his attention on obtaining an early diagnosis because the initial symptoms are often subtle. A high index of suspicion is necessary, with this allowing for an adequate course of management before the condition worsens or before any clinical complications develop. Such a strategy increases the chances of successful treatment and a possible cure.