Liver Track Embolization After Islet Cell Transplant: Comparison of Two Techniques

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of microfibrillar collagen paste with those of gelatin sponge for liver track embolization after islet cell transplants. MATERIALS AND METHODS. In a single-institution, retrospective study, 37 patients underwent 66 islet cell transplants from January 2005 through October 2015. Transplants were performed with 6-French transhepatic access, systemic anticoagulation, pretransplant and posttransplant portal venous pressure measurement, and image-guided liver track embolization with gelatin sponge (2005–2011) or microfibrillar collagen paste (2012–2015). The findings on 20 patients (two men, 18 women; mean age, 48 years) who underwent 35 gelatin sponge embolizations were compared with the findings on 13 patients (six men, seven women; mean age, 48 years) who underwent 22 microfibrillar collagen paste embolizations (four patients, nine procedures without embolization excluded). Medical record review was used to compare laboratory test re...