The etiology and management of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia after orthotopic liver transplantation / 中华肝脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the causes and treatment of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia after orthotopic liver transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 368 cases of orthotopic liver transplantation patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between 2004 and 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three hundred and sixty-eight patients experienced 396 incidents of hyperbilirubinemia, including 183 incidents of preoperative hyperbilirubinemia (46.2%), 46 incidents of ischemia-reperfusion injury (11.6%), 36 incidents of acute rejection (9.1%), 78 incidents of biliary complications (19.7%), 24 incidents of blood vessel complications (6.1%), 23 incidents of recurrence of the primary disease (5.8%) and 6 incidents of tacrolimus (FK506) toxicity (1.5%). The comprehensive management targeted to the etiology and symptoms were applied to all patients with hyperbilirubinemia.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hyperbilirubinemia is a common clinical manifestation after liver transplantation with multiple and complicated causes. The key point for successful treatment is to identify the causes. To reach the aim of treatment and obtain long-term survival of the recipients, it is very important to make a correct diagnosis and give reasonable therapeutic regimens as soon as possible.</p>