Liver transplantation for hepatic trauma: Discussion about a case and its management

Liver transplant for trauma is a rare condition with 19 cases described in the literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old patient who suffered a gradeV liver injury with a vena cava tear after a car crash. After a computerized tomography (CT) scan, the patient was directly sent to the operating room where the surgeon performed a right hepatectomy extended to segment IV with a venous repair under discontinued hilar clamping. On day five, the patient developed acute liver failure and was put on an emergency transplant waiting list. He had a successful liver transplant 2 days later. Fifteen months after his transplant, the patient is alive and asymptomatic. This case report focuses on the patient′s initial management, the importance of damage control surgery and the circumstances which finally led to the transplant.