Analysis of Indications and Results in Liver Retransplantation: Is Late Retransplantation Worthwhile?

BACKGROUND: Liver retransplantation (LrT) is the only therapeutic option for irreversible hepatic graft failure. Despite various improvements, its technical complexity entails a greater morbidity in the short and long term. The main goal of the study was to analyze the activity of LrT at our center, as well as its indications, timing, postoperative evolution, and the long-term survival of patients. METHODS: We designed a descriptive study of a cohort of patients who underwent LrT in a Spanish Hepatic Transplant Unit, between April 1, 2002 and December 31, 2015. RESULTS: A total of 366 primary orthotopic liver transplantations were performed, 20 of which were LrTs, resulting in a 5.5% retransplantation rate. The most frequent indication for LrT was hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) (35%). Twenty-five percent of the LrTs were early retransplantations and 75% were late retransplantations. After LrT, 35% of the grafts showed liver dysfunction. The overall mortality rate was 45%: in early LrT this was 25% and in late LrT it was 46.7%. Graft actuarial survival at 1 month post-LrT was 75% and at 5 years it was 63.6%. The overall actuarial survival after LrT at month 1, year 1, year 3, and year 5 was 80%, 69.6%, 58.9%, and 50.5%, respectively. In the late LrT group, the results proved less favorable, so it is necessary to define the minimum acceptable result before proceeding to a second graft. CONCLUSION: Our LrT rate was lower than that reported by other groups in our country. The actuarial survival rates for graft and patient are comparable to those obtained by other groups.

Analysis of the Predictive Ability for Graft Loss and Mortality of Two Criteria for Early Allograft Dysfunction After Liver Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: The current imbalance between available donors and potential recipients for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has led to a liberalization of organ acceptance criteria, increasing the risk of post-transplant complications such as early allograft dysfunction (EAD). Consequently, we need accurate criteria to detect patients with early poor graft function to guide the strategies of management. We evaluated the usefulness of two frequently used criteria: the definition from Olthoff et al and the Model for Early Allograft Function (MEAF) scoring. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Unicentric cohort study of patients undergoing OLT between January 1, 2010, and November 20, 2016. We performed a univariate study to detect donor, recipient, and transplant factors favoring EAD, defined both by Olthoff criteria and a MEAF score higher than 7. Finally, we developed a comparative survival analysis for cases having or not EAD. RESULTS: In all, 201 transplants met inclusion criteria. According to the stated cutoff for MEAF score, the frequency of EAD was 9.3%, with a significant association to low recipient body mass index and prolonged total graft ischemia time, resulting in lower patient 3-month postoperative survival. According to Olthoff criteria, EAD incidence was 22.1% and was associated with younger donor and recipient ages and higher Model for End-stage Liver Disease and Child-Pugh recipient scores. Its development resulted in lower graft and recipient survival at 3 months after OLT. CONCLUSION: MEAF score and Olthoff criteria are useful tools for detection of EAD. The latter could select more appropriately patients at risk, but its calculation cannot be done until the seventh day after OLT, unlike MEAF score, available on third day.

Early detection of biliary complications and graft rejection in a non-RH Identitical liver transplant recipient from a non-heart-beating donor: a case report.

Because of a shortage of organs, non-heart-beating donors have been proposed to be a possible source of grafts for orthotopic liver transplantation. Herein, we have presented a blood group A+ patient with primary biliary cirrhosis, who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation from a non-heart-beating blood group A- donor. On day 5 after transplantation the patient displayed a low hemoglobin levels as well as an increased total bilirubin with progressive encephalopathy, hypotension, and oligoanuria on day 11. The patient responded to steroid treatment. We assume the main cause of organ dysfunction was a passenger lymphocyte syndrome (ABO-Rh incompatibility). Biliary complications were detected at a 6-month follow-up visit by increased hepatic enzymes. We thus concluded that it is useful to take Rh group into account.