Long-term Results in Comparative Analysis of Merits in Using Polypropylene and Polydioxanone for Microsurgical Biliary Reconstruction in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Bile duct complications hamper patient recovery from a transplant, curtail patient quality of life, and may impair the function and persistent survival of the allograft. The aim of this study is to compare the results of biliary reconstruction using 6-0 polypropylene and 6-0 polydioxanone. A single-center retrospective study was performed on 133 patients who underwent microsurgical biliary reconstruction during living donor liver transplantation between November 2014 and December 2015. 6-0 polypropylene (Prolene) and 6-0 polydioxanone suture (PDS) were used for biliary reconstruction in 80 and 53 cases, respectively. The factors of age, sex, disease, and comorbidity were evenly distributed in these 2 groups. The average follow-up time was 43 months (36-50 months). There were 49 right lobe grafts and 31 left lobe grafts in the polypropylene group and 27 right lobe grafts, 25 left lobe grafts, and 1 left lateral segment in the polydioxanone group. The overall biliary complication rate was 11.25% in the polypropylene group. The overall biliary complication rate was 11.32% in the polydioxanone group. All biliary complications were managed successfully, and no mortality was observed. There was no statistically significant difference between complication rates with the use of different suture material (P = .990). The theoretical advantages of polydioxanone over polypropylene in biliary reconstruction could not be explained with this study. •The theoretical advantages of polydioxanone over polypropylene in biliary reconstruction could not be explained with this study.•Biliary reconstruction using polydioxanone or polypropylene had the same results.