Functional and morphological graft monitoring after liver transplantation

The development of effective immunosuppressive drugs and the refinement of surgical procedures have led to remarkable improvements in the long-term success of liver transplantation. This procedure is now widely recognised as an effective, preferable therapeutic option for the treatment of end-stage liver disease. The early diagnosis of dysfunction is an indispensable tool for the successful management of the hepatic allograft recipient. Liver function is usually assessed by biochemical and morphological examinations, usually based on coagulation factors (fibrinogen, fibrinogen degradation peptide, factor V, prothrombin time and prolonged thromboplastin time), transaminases, gamma-GT, ALP, bilirubin and lactic acid, and histology. Liver biopsy is usually performed before the implantation of the graft to assess the viability of the liver and following liver transplantation, whenever clinical events warrant it or as part of a routine biopsy schedule.