Successful management of chylous ascites after living donor liver transplantation with somatostatin

Abstract

Chylous ascites is a rare complication following liver transplantation. A variety of treatment options have been proposed for the management of chylous ascites; however, their effectiveness following a liver transplant is unknown. A 40-year-old woman who underwent living donor liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis developed chylous ascites 21 days after the transplant. A conventional treatment consisting of a low-fat diet with total parenteral nutrition failed to treat the complication for 104 days. However, the use of somatostatin in combination with total parenteral nutrition resulted in a rapid falloff in chyle output without any adverse effects. Somatostatin and total parenteral nutrition are an effective option for the treatment of chylous ascites after living donor liver transplantation.