A case of hepaticojejunal anastomotic obstruction after a living-donor liver transplantation and recanalization using a high-frequency knife under the rendezvous technique

A 65-year-old woman underwent living-donor liver transplantation (left-lobe graft: GWRW ratio, 0.54) for cirrhosis caused by autoimmune hepatitis. At 68 years, she was diagnosed with obstructive cholangitis due to stricture during a hepaticojejunostomy following impaired liver function. Endoscopic balloon dilation of anastomosis and placement of a plastic stent resulted in improved liver function. However, at 72 years, the patient experienced a flare-up of liver damage. The plastic stent had fallen out, and although endoscopic stenotic dilation was attempted, the anastomotic site was obstructed completely. Therefore, recanalization of the hepaticojejunostomy was attempted using a rendezvous technique. A percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tube was inserted through the B3 bile duct, and the complete obstructed anastomosis was confirmed by percutaneous transhepatic and transjejunal approaches. The anastomosis was reopened by excising the scarred tissues from the jejunal side using a 1.5-mm high-frequency knife. A 14-Fr. catheter for the internal fistula tube was percutaneously placed at the opened anastomosis to achieve anastomotic site recanalization. The patient’s liver damage improved after the re-internalization, and no symptom recurrence such as obstructive cholangitis developed for 1 year. There are few reports of recanalization of the hepaticojejunostomy with a high-frequency knife. Herein, we report the case with a literature review.