Use of absorbable mesh in the treatment of parenchymal liver injuries during orthotopic liver transplantation

Objective: To find out whether packing or wrapping with polyglactin 910 mesh was more effective in stopping bleeding in livers that had been damaged during transplantation. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University hospital, Austria. Subjects and interventions: 15 of 27 livers that had been damaged during transplantation bled sufficiently to warrant either packing (n = 6) or wrapping (n = 9). Main outcome measures: Arrest of bleeding; other complications. Results: Both packing and wrapping succeeded in stopping the bleeding, and neither caused infections. Packing may theoretically cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and impair organ function. Conclusion: It is preferable to wrap rather than pack a bleeding liver that has been damaged during transplantation.