Simo decoction in patients with early liver dysfunction after liver transplantation

Simo decoction was used to treat patients with early liver dysfunction after liver transplantation (LT). We aimed to evaluate its effects on gastrointestinal and liver function. A total of 138 patients were divided into the control (Ctrl) group (standard care + placebo; n=69) or the experimental (Exp) group (standard care combined with Simo decoction; n=69). From postoperative day 1 to 5 (T1-T5), patients' liver and kidney function, blood glucose, blood ammonia, gastric residual volume, defecation time, enteral nutrition intake, adverse events and the co-administration of Simo decoction with tacrolimus were analyzed. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and indirect bilirubin levels all showed decreasing trends, while creatinine, blood glucose and albumin remained stable. Compared with the Ctrl group, the Exp group demonstrated significantly lower blood ammonia levels during T1-T5, earlier defecation time and higher enteral nutrition intake at T4-T5. Although gastric residual volume was higher in the Exp group at T1, it was lower than the Ctrl group at T3-T5 without reaching statistical significance. Simo decoction demonstrated beneficial effects in improving gastrointestinal function and metabolic parameters following LT, facilitating toxin elimination and promoting gastrointestinal recovery, while showing no adverse effects on hepatic or renal function recovery.