Browsing by Author "Tai, Qiang"

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Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Appendicitis After Orthotopic Liver Transplant in Adults
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2011-04) Wu, Linwei; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Wang, Dongping; Ju, Weiqiang; He, Xiaoshun; Tai, Qiang; Guo, Zhiyong; Zhang, Jianwei
Objectives: The incidence of acute appendicitis after orthotopic liver transplant is low but difficult to differentiate from other posttransplant complications. We sought to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of acute appendicitis during the early posttransplant stage. Materials and Methods: Data from 4 liver transplant recipients with acute appendicitis immediately after transplant and 4 patients with misdiagnosed appendicitis, between January 2000 and December 2007, were studied retrospectively. Results: The incidence of acute appendicitis immediately after orthotopic liver transplant was 0.49%. Four patients had right lower quadrant abdominal pain with fixed tenderness, rebound tenderness, and fever on the eighth, ninth, 11th, and 13th days after surgery. White blood cells counts were elevated in all patients. Appendectomies were performed on day 1 or 2 after the onset of symptoms. No appendicular perforations were found. All patients recovered well. After an exploratory laparotomy, the 4 patients originally misdiagnosed with appendicitis were correctly diagnosed with a duodenal diverticulum perforation (1 patient), a jejunum perforation (1 patient), and bile leakage (2 patients). Two of these patients died despite aggressive treatment. Conclusions: The incidence of acute appendicitis immediately after orthotopic liver transplant is low and should be differentiated from other surgical complications, such as gastrointestinal perforation and bile leakage. Appendectomy is recommended in these patients as early as possible.
Hepatic Artery Thrombosis After Orthotopic Liver Transplant: A Review of the Same Institute 5 Years Later
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2011-06) Wu, Linwei; Hu, Anbin; Wang, Guodong; Ma, Yi; Zhu, Xiaofeng; Wang, Dongping; Ju, Weiqiang; He, Xiaoshun; Tai, Qiang; Guo, Zhiyong; Zhang, Jianwei
Objectives: Summarize the experience of managing patients with hepatic artery thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplant in a single center. Materials and Methods: A total of 726 adult patients who received a liver transplant at the Department of Organ Transplantation, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, between January 2004 and December 2009, were selected. Fourteen patients had hepatic artery thrombosis after the operation, and the clinical data of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The incidence rate of hepatic artery thrombosis was 1.9% (14/726), and the mean time of onset was 10 days (range, 1 - 41 d) after surgery. Six patients had acute deterioration of liver function, 4 had bile leakage, 1 had hepatic abscess, and 3 had no symptoms. Three patients received urgent rearterialization, 2 received intra-arterial thrombolysis, 3 received combined urgent rearterialization and intra-arterial thrombolysis, and 6 patients received a retransplant. The mortality rate associated with hepatic artery thrombosis was 42.9% (6/14); 2 from biliary necrosis and secondary hepatic failure after urgent rearterialization; 1 from recurrent hepatic artery thrombosis and multiple organ failure after intra-arterial thrombolysis; 1 from renal failure and severe infection after combined urgent rearterialization and intra-arterial thrombolysis, and 2 from severe infection after retransplant. The other patients recovered and were followed for 18 to 66 months. Their liver grafts all functioned well with a patent artery. Two died from tumor recurrence at 18 and 29 months after transplant. Conclusions: Hepatic artery thrombosis is a severe complication after liver transplant, which leads to graft loss and recipient death. Rearterialization as early as possible before irreversible biliary and liver parenchyma damage can avoid retransplant.
Sirolimus Conversion in Liver Transplant Recipients With Calcineurin Inhibitor-Induced Complications: Efficacy and Safety
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2012-04) Ju, Wei-qiang; Hu, An-bin; He, Xiaoshun; Zhu, Xiao-feng; Han, Ming; Tai, Qiang; Wu, Lin-wei; Liang, Wen-hua; Guo, Zhi-yong
Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to sirolimus among liver transplant recipients with calcineurin inhibitor-induced complications. Materials and Methods: After receiving liver transplants, 25 patients with calcineurin inhibitor-induced complications (22 renal dysfunction and 3 new-onset diabetes mellitus) were converted from sirolimus to tacrolimus. The serum creatinine, sirolimus trough level, liver function, acute rejection episodes, and drug-related adverse effects were monitored. Results: The patients were followed for 12 to 50 months (median, 25 months). The renal function of the 22 patients with renal dysfunction improved after sirolimus conversion. The serum creatinine levels were significantly lower at 3 months after conversion versus before conversion (113.2 ± 21.8 µmol/L vs 163.2 ± 45.3 µmol/L; P < .05). At the end of the follow-up, the average serum creatinine level was 101.9 ± 23.4 µmol/L among the 20 living recipients. Diabetes also was under control in 3 diabetic recipients after the conversion. Four patients experienced episodes of acute rejection, and intravenous steroid bolus therapy was administered in 2 of them. No graft was lost because of acute rejection. The adverse effects of sirolimus included hyperlipidemia (7/25), anemia (8/25), and mouth ulcers (9/25). All these adverse effects were relieved after a short-term symptomatic therapy, and no patient was withdrawn from the conversion trial. Conclusions: Sirolimus monotherapy is effective and safe in liver transplant recipients. Conversion to sirolimus was associated with a sustained improvement in renal function and diabetes mellitus without an increased incidence of acute rejection episodes.
Twenty-Four Hour Steroid Avoidance Immunosuppressive Regimen in Liver Transplant Recipients
(Başkent Üniversitesi, 2012-06) Ju, Wei-qiang; Zhu, Xiao-feng; Tai, Qiang; Han, Ming; Hu, An-bin; Wu, Lin-wei; He, Xiao-shun; Ling, Xiaoting; Guo, Zhi-yong
Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of an immunosuppressive regimen of steroid avoidance in combination with induction therapy and tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients. Materials and Methods: Eighty-two adult liver transplant recipients were randomized into 2 groups: standard protocol group (n=41) in which steroids were withdrawn 3 months after the operation, and a 24-hour steroid avoidance group (n=41) in which steroids were eliminated within 24-hours. The incidence of acute rejections, infections (bacterial, fungal, and cytomegalovirus), and metabolic complications were analyzed between the groups. Results: The incidence of early posttransplant diabetes mellitus and the average dosage of insulin consumption among diabetic recipients were significantly higher in recipients in the standard protocol group than in the 24-hour avoidance group (P < .05). In addition, the incidence of hypertension and infection during the follow-up were also higher in patients of the standard protocol group (P < .05). The incidence of hypertension in the early posttransplant period, hyperlipemia, and acute rejection during the follow-up were comparable between the groups (P > .05). Conclusions: Twenty-four hour steroid avoidance combined with induction therapy and tacrolimus maintenance is a safe and efficient immunosuppression strategy that can significantly reduce posttransplant infections and other complications owing to long-term use of steroids, without increasing the risk of acute rejection.