Refractory Ascites After Liver Transplantation Treated With Splenic Artery Embolization: A Case Report and Literature Review

After orthotopic liver transplantation, several complications can arise, such as arterial or venous thrombosis, stenosis, biliary leakage, ischemia, or ascites. Although refractory ascites are not a common complication, they can have a significant impact on patients' prognosis and quality of life. This condition can be caused by multiple mechanisms, both intrahepatic and extrahepatic, and one of them is the splenic artery steal syndrome. In this article, we present the case of a patient with advanced cirrhosis who developed refractory ascites following liver transplantation. Despite management with diuretics and paracentesis, the ascites did not respond to conventional treatment. The diagnosis of splenic artery steal syndrome was confirmed through angiography, and subsequent embolization of the splenic artery resulted in symptom resolution.