Congenital membranous occlusion of the suprahepatic inferior vena cava in a pediatric liver transplant

Congenital membranous occlusion of the inferior vena cava (IVC) in pediatric liver recipients may present with outflow occlusion and if unrecognized, result in graft loss. Prompt evaluation of outflow obstruction in the setting of unexplained inflow compromise is paramount. We report a case of successful IVC reconstruction in a patient with recurrent hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT). A 2-year-old child with history of two liver transplantations developed fevers, ascites, and abdominal tenderness one month after her second liver transplant. Hepatic duplex revealed decreased flow in the hepatic artery and IVC venogram revealed patent hepatic veins with occlusion of the suprahepatic IVC. We performed reconstruction of her suprahepatic IVC to intrapericardial IVC using an end-to-side technique after complete mobilization of the liver. Recovery was uneventful and the patient has been doing well for the last 5 years.