A study of applied anatomy of hepatic veins for right lobe living donor liver transplantation

Objective To study applied anatomy for right lobe living donor liver transplanta-tion. Methods The number of branches, maximum diameter, the whole length, the length outside livers of hepatic veins and the excursioning degree of middle hepatic veins from middle hepatic fissura were observed in 133 specimens of adults liver. Results In type A, there were a larger right hepatic vein and small accessory hepatic veins (59.4% of all specimens). In type B, there were a medium-size right hepatic vein and medium-size accessory hepatic veins (27.8% of all the specimens). In type C, there were a small right hepatic vein and larger accessory hepatic veins (12.8 % of all specimens). The middle and left hepatic veins formed a common trunk in 60.3 percent of specimens. The length of the common trunk was (1.12±0.61) cm, while the diameter of the common trunk was (1.29±0.40) cm. The right excursioning degree of middle hepatic veins from middle hepatic fissura was (14.11±12.65)°. Conclusion The rates of types of hepatic vein found in this study are markedly different from those reported in foreign literature. The right lobe living donor liver transplantation might be more suitable for Chinese. Key words: Liver transplantation;  Hepatic veins;  Living donor;  Right lobe;  Applied anatomy