No difference in incidence of post-op complications versus deceased donor liver transplant
FRIDAY, March 20, 2015 (HealthDay News) — For patients with acute liver failure (ALF), live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a valid treatment option with excellent outcomes, according to a study published online March 19 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Nicolas Goldaracena, M.D., from Toronto General Hospital, and colleagues examined the outcome of LDLT for patients suffering from ALF. All seven patients with ALF who received LDLT were compared with 26 ALF patients receiving a deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT).
The researchers found that pre-transplant intensive care unit stay, mechanical ventilation support, inotropic drug requirement, and dialysis were comparable between the groups (P = 0.38, 0.66, 0.64, and 1.0, respectively). The incidence of overall postoperative complications was similar for LDLT versus DDLT (31 versus 43 percent; P = 0.66). LDLT and DDLT patients had no differences in one-, three-, and five-year graft survival (all 92 versus 86 percent) or in patient survival (P = 0.63). After live liver transplantation there were no severe donor complications.
“ALF is a severe disease with high mortality on liver transplant waiting lists worldwide,” the authors write. “Therefore, LDLT is an attractive option since live donor work-up can be expedited and liver transplantation can be performed within 24 hours with excellent short- and long-term outcomes.”
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