Liver Transplantation for Polycystic Liver Disease: A Retrospective Analysis From a University Center

Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is an autosomal dominant disorder, frequently associated with polycystic kidney disease. Although often asymptomatic, progressive hepatomegaly may cause debilitating compressive symptoms, recurrent infections, and significant impairment in quality of life. Liver transplantation (LT) remains the only curative option for highly symptomatic patients. The objective was to evaluate the evolution and outcomes of patients undergoing LT for PLD between January 1994 and December 2024 at a tertiary university hospital. This retrospective observational study analyzed preoperative variables, including symptom burden, indication for transplantation, and waiting time, as well as postoperative data such as operative time, ischemia times, complications, length of hospital stay, survival, morbidity, and mortality. Data were obtained from medical record review and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Among 1,188 liver transplants performed during the study period, 9 (0.75%) were indicated for PLD. Most patients were female (88.8%), with a mean age of 47.3 years. The main indication for LT was severe impairment in quality of life due to compressive symptoms. Mean warm ischemia time was 45.6 minutes, and cold ischemia 6.3 hours. Mean waiting time was 7.1 months, and mean hospital stay was 12.4 days. Three patients required retransplantation due to hepatic artery thrombosis. Survival rates were 66.6% at 30 days and 55.5% at 5 years. It was observed that LT is an effective option for symptom relief and quality-of-life improvement in PLD. Given its technical complexity and associated morbidity, careful patient selection remains essential.