Biliary reconstruction is a vulnerable step of liver transplantation, presenting an incidence of biliary complications between 10 to 35% in many studies. Our aim is to present our incidence and treatment of biliary complications, in a total of 147 orthotopic liver transplantations, 88 males and 59 females, with an mean age of 37 years. Biliary complications occurred in 27 transplants (18,36%) performed in 25 patients (two retransplants). Cellular rejection and vascular complications were identified as risk factors for biliary complications. Age, sex, etiology of cirrhosis and biliary reconstruction technique were not risk factors. Fifty-two therapeutic courses were performed: 23 surgical treatments, 15 endoscopic treatments, seven retransplants, six external biliary drainage and one patient is waiting retransplantation. In conclusion, biliary complications are frequent after liver transplantation and vascular complications and cellular rejection are risk factors for them.
Hepatic transplantation; Biliary stenosis; Biliary fistula; Biliary complications; Jaundice