Orthotopic Liver Transplantation Using Bio-Medicus Centrifugal Pump (Bio-Pump) in Small Pigs

Orthotopic liver transplantation using bio-pump during anhepatic phase was performed eight times in small pigs before clinical application. Twenty-four pigs weighning 9 to 14kg were used. A new circuit was devised for V-V bypass in this series. Mean blood flow rate of this V-V bypass was 23ml/min/kg. Duration of mean anhepatic phase was 69 min. Two recipients were died of hyperthermia due to anesthesia. Two were lost because of hyper-potassemia after the reperfusion of the graft. There were no death during the V-V bypass. Four pigs were awaken after the operation. The longest living recipient without immunosuppression therapy died 91 days after reciving the new liver. It is suggested that V-V bypass using bio-pump with the new circuit is useful during anhepatic phase of the liver transplantation even in small patients