Liver Transplantation: Patient Selection, Perioperative Surgical Issues, and Expected Outcomes

Liver transplant rates are at an all-time high, with nearly 8000 liver transplants in 2015. Despite the increasing number of liver transplants performed per year, there is a widening gap of supply and demand on limited donor resources. Patient selection is a complex but necessary process to evaluate patients who will benefit from liver transplant while minimizing futile transplants. Efforts should also continue to focus on minimizing perioperative complications resulting in retransplantations and more targeted immunosuppression to minimize side effects and prolong patient survival.