Anesthesia for orthotopic liver transplantation in pigs without anhepatic veno-venous bypass.

Objective To investigate anesthesia management for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in pigs without anhepatic veno-venous bypass. Methods 38 healthy pigs were divided into two groups at random:19 donators, 19 receivers. The oral intubation and total intravenous anesthesia were adopted in all pigs. The hemodynamic changes were continuously monitored during the operating phases. The changes of arterial blood gas, blood biochemistry and liver functions were monitored during preanhepatic phase, anhepatic phase and neohepatie phase in 19 receivers. Results The oral intubation was successful in 35 cases, and tracheotomy in 3 cases. The pigs had much tolerance to narcotic, and the volume of narcotic was decreased obviously in anhepatic phase. There were remarkable hemodynamic changes and severe metabolic acidosis during anhepatie phase and neohepatie phase compared with the preanhepatic phase, and temporary serum kalium concentration increased during primary neohepatic phase. The apparent fluctuation of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), central venous pressure (CVP), heart rate (HR), bases excess (BE), and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide ( PaCO2 ) were observed during the period of liver transplantation. Conclusion The oral intubation can be adopted in pigs.Anesthesia can be lighter during the anhepatic phase. Hemodynamics and acid base and electrolyte equilibrium change significantly.Therefore it is very important to monitor hemodynamies and blood biochemistry and arterial blood gas in order to prevent and manage their disturbance during anhepatic to neohepatic phase in orthotopic liver transplantation. Key words: orthotopie liver transplantation ;  pig ;  anesthesia