Study to Establish Whether the Use of T-Tube in Bile Duct Anastomosis in Liver Transplantation Decreases Morbidity

Prospective and Randomized Trial on the Usefulness of T-Tube in the Bile Duct Anastomosis in Liver Transplantation Procedure.

The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence and severity of biliary complications due to liver transplantation after choledochocholedochostomy with or without a T-tube. A per-protocol analysis was designed for recipients of orthotopic liver transplantation in a single center, who were randomly assigned to choledochocholedochostomy with or without a T-tube. It is a prospective and randomized study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recipients of a deceased full-size liver graft
• Aged > 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 years
• Retransplantation
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis
• Fulminant hepatic failure
• Technical need for a hepaticojejunostomy
• Splitted graft
• Reduced-size graft
• More than one organ transplantation
• Living donation
• Finding of a large difference (twice the size) in common bile duct diameters between the graft and the recipient