Objective  To investigate the safety and efficacy of interventional treatment for ischemic-type biliary lesion(ITBL) after liver transplantation(LT).

  Methods  The clinical and imaging data of 76 patients with ITBL after LT, who received interventional treatment in the Department of Interventional Vascular Radiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2006 to February 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. On the basis of the cholangiographic appearance, patients were classified into 3 groups:hilar biliary stricture group(n=28), multifocal biliary stricture group(n=42), and biloma group (n=6). The modalities of interventional treatment were percutanous transhepatic biliary drainage(PTBD), PTBD combined with balloon dilation, PTBD combined with balloon dilation and plastic stent implantation. The methods of biliary drainage included external drainage and external-internal drainage. All the patients were followed up after treatment. The curative effect and biliary complication was observed.

  Results  The first successful rate of PTBD was 97%(74/76). The total curative rate, improvement rate and ineffective rate of interventional treatment were 21%(16/76), 51%(39/76) and 28%(21/76). In hilar biliary stricture group, the cure, improvement and inefficacy rates were 36%(10/28), 57%(16/28)and 7%(2/28). The efficacy rate was 93%(22/28). In multifocal biliary stricture group, the cure, improvement and inefficacy rates were 14%(6/42), 50%(21/42)and 36%(15/42). The efficacy rate was 64%(27/42). In biloma group, 2 cases(2/6) were cured and treatment of 4 cases was ineffective. The efficacy of hilar biliary stricture group was better than that of multifocal biliary stricture group(P < 0.05). The efficacy of multifocal biliary stricture group was better than that of biloma group(P < 0.001). The main biliary complication was biliary tract infection during drainage. The rates of bile tract infections were 20%(13/64)and 67%(8/12) in patients with external drainage and external-internal drainage, respectively. There was significant difference between these two items (P < 0.001).

  Conclusions  PTBD is a safe and effective therapeutic modality for ITBL after LT, which combined with balloon dilation and biliary stent implantation can improve patients' clinical symptoms, elevate patients' quality of life. The biliary external drainage can decrease the rate of biliary tract infection significantly.