[Liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease. Selective indications]

Alcoholic liver disease represents about 15% of all indications for liver transplantation. Patient selection is difficult, and must be rigorous. Peri-operative risks are evaluated on the same basis as for other chronic liver diseases, with special attention for alcoholic extra-hepatic morbidity and nutritional status. Definite withdrawal from alcohol is mandatory. Predictive factors of long-term abstinence are the absence of psychopathologic state, an adequate social and affective situation, the possibilities of professional reinsertion, and a strong motivation of the patient towards liver transplantation. A six-month period of complete abstinence before registration on a liver transplantation waiting list is not mandatory, although intermittent alcoholic abuse before transplantation should be an exclusion factor. Liver transplantation must be proposed based on the severity of liver failure, as assessed by pronostic scores. It must be rapidly discussed following an acute episode of decompensation, in the absence of a significant improvement despite adequate medical therapy. It must also be discussed for long-term abstinent patients, with an apparently stabilized cirrhosis, but with an important decrease of the functional liver mass. The evaluation of the functional liver mass is based upon the Child-Pugh score, associated with the results of metabolic liver function tests, the measurement of the hepatic volume and the severity of portal hypertension.