Orthotopic Liver transplantation is the primary treatment for most end-stage-liver diseases. Victims of snakebite are potential organ donors since the venom's ability to induce irreversible brain damage. However, in the literature, reports of liver transplants obtained from victims of these accidents, their outcome and follow up are practically non-existent. Our purpose is to report a case of a donor with brain death following complications of a bothropic accident, and the patient who receives the liver with cirrhosis due to Hepatitis B.
A 40-year-old male patient was admitted to Fortaleza General Hospital (HGF) to perform a liver transplant. The 67-year-old donor, who, after a snakebite of the species Bothrops jararaca, developed coagulopathy and progressed with a hemorrhagic stroke. There was confirmation of encephalic death. In the laboratory examinations, the donor presented AST of 17 U/L, ALT of 20 U/L, total bilirubin 2,4 mg/dL and platelets of 80,000/µl. Hepatic transplantation was performed, which occurred without complications. On the first postoperative day (PO), there was an AST peak of 2885 U/L and ALT of 1497 U/L, followed by progressive reduction. In the eighth PO, ultrasonography with Doppler showed a graft without alterations.
There were no complications that compromised the graft or the life of the recipient, being, this case, an example of the possibility that the organs from deceased snakebites donors can be transplanted.