Liver transplantation for end-stage alcoholic liver disease: a single-center experience from mainland China.

Abstract

There has been a gradual increase in the number of patients with end-stage alcoholic liver disease (ALD) undergoing liver transplantation (LT) in mainland China. However, few studies have focused on the post-transplant outcomes of this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of LT in patients with ALD, mainly focusing on survival rates, complications, and alcohol recidivism. The results were retrospectively analyzed from 20 patients, who underwent LT for ALD from December 2003 to September 2007 at Liver Transplant Center of Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of the ALD group and non-ALD group were 90.0, 80.0, 80.0% and 90.3, 84.7, 79.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates between these two groups (P=.909). No significant difference was observed in complications such as pulmonary infection (50.0 vs. 31.9%, P=.137), biliary complications (15.0 vs. 27.4%, P=.297), hepatic arterial complications (10.0 vs. 6.9%, P=.641), and rejection (15.0 vs. 8.1%, P=.394) after LT between the ALD group and non-ALD group. There was only one person who resumed mild, intermittent drinking after LT. End-stage ALD is a good indication for LT, with similar results in non-ALD patients. The major cause of death in ALD patients after LT was infectious complications. More attention is needed for the prophylaxis of infectious complications after LT.

• Authors: Gui-hua Chen, Yang Yang, Min-qiang Lu, Chang-jie Cai, Qi Zhang, Ying-cai Zhang, Chi Xu, Hua Li, Gen-shu Wang, Shu-hong Yi, Jian Zhang, Jun-feng Zhang, Hui-min Yi
• Journal: Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) (Alcohol) Vol. 44 Issue 3 Pg. 217-21 (May 2010) ISSN: 1873-6823 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20682189 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• China
• Comorbidity
• Disease Progression
• Humans
• Liver Diseases, Alcoholic (mortality, surgery)
• Liver Transplantation
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Recurrence
• Survival Rate
• Time Factors
• Treatment Outcome