Liver transplantation for acute liver failure: a 5 years experience

Fulminant hepatic failure carries a high morbidity and mortality. Liver transplantation has markedly improved the prognosis of patients with fulminant hepatic failure.

To evaluate the outcome of 20 patients with acute liver failure and indication for liver transplantation.

A retrospective review of 20 patients with acute liver failure and indication for liver transplantation was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: group A with 12 patients who underwent liver transplantation and group B with 8 patients who did not receive liver transplantation. Both groups were analyzed according to age, sex, ABO blood type, etiology of acute liver failure, time on list until transplantation or death, and survival rates. Group A patients were additionally analyzed according to preoperative INR, AST, and ALT peak values and MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease) scores; intraoperative red blood cells and plasma transfusion and cold ischemia time; postoperative lenght of intensive care unit and hospital stay, and needed for dialysis.

Group A: there were four men and eight women with an average age of 24.6 years. The average liver waiting time period was 3.4 days and MELD score 36. Seven patients are alive with good hepatic function at a medium follow-up of 26.2 months. The actuarial survival rate was 65.2% at 1 year. Group B: There were two men and six women with an average age of 30.9 years. The mean waiting time on list until death was 7.4 days. All patients died while waiting for a liver donor.

Despite the improvements in intensive care management, most patients with acute liver failure and indication for liver transplantation ca not survive long without transplant. Liver transplantation is potentially the only curative modality and has markedly improved the prognosis of those patients.