Pediatric liver transplantation: a 3-year experience

From September 1, 1984 to March 1, 1988, 201 patients were evaluated for liver transplantation. Ninety-one orthotopic liver transplants were performed on 80 children ranging in age from 3 months to 15 years. The average waiting time for a transplant was 5 months, with children less than 10 kg in weight waiting a disproportionately long time. The average operative time was 10.6 hours and the average blood product replacement was 2.7 blood volumes. There was a steady improvement in both operative time and blood loss from 1985 to 1987. The overall hepatic arterial thrombosis rate was 9%; complex reconstructions having a thrombosis rate of 39%, and end-to-end anastomoses having a thrombosis rate of 1.4%. The average hospital stay was 37 days, and the major causes of postoperative morbidity and mortality were rejection (75%), infection (50%), and diarrhea (76%). The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 75% and 73%, respectively. Children with a successful transplant returned to home and school. After transplantation, 60% of the children exhibited catch-up growth and 88% have normal liver function. Pediatric liver transplantation is an effective modality in the treatment of children with terminal liver disease. Increased pediatric organ donation and the investigation of new operative techniques and types of preservation are necessary to meet the needs of an expanding recipient pool.