Bivalirudin for the prevention of hepatic artery thrombosis in pediatric liver transplantation.
Rebecca Craig-SchapiroAnna M Banc-HusuSarah A TaylorRachel S BercovitzCaroline P LemoineRiccardo A SuperinaPublished in: Pediatric transplantation (2021)
The patient successfully underwent a third liver transplant using intraoperative and postoperative bivalirudin infusion, a direct thrombin inhibitor. Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) was used to guide anticoagulation and blood product administration in the perioperative period. At 1.5 years post-transplant, the patient has good graft function with patent hepatic vasculature. This case demonstrates the innovative use of bivalirudin anticoagulant therapy and viscoelastic methodologies to improve outcomes in hypercoagulable liver transplant recipients.