[Orthotopic liver transplantation (first clinical experience)]

The article deals with the results of work conducted according to the orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) program from January 1990 to January 1992. To select the patients for OLT, 54 persons (24 males and 30 females aged from 12 to 55 years) with diffuse (34) and focal (20) diseases of the liver were examined. OLT was indicated for 19 patients who were registered in the waiting list. In the period of waiting for the donor organs, 5 persons died, 3 refused to undergo OLT, and 4 remain on the waiting list. Eight OLT (including one retransplantation) were conducted on 7 patients. The indications for OLT in these patients were: unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (4), cirrhosis of the liver of viral etiology (1), fulgurant form of hepatitis B (1), transplant rejection crisis which could not be arrested (1). Immunosuppression was conducted by the two- and three-component programs with the use of corticosteroids, cyclosporine A, and azathioprine. Eight crises of transplant rejection were encountered, successful retransplantation of the liver was accomplished for one of two crises which could not be arrested. The survival of the operated on recipients ranged from 3 days to 15 months. Various complications (mainly hemorrhagic and infectious) were encountered in the posttransplantation period. At the time that the article is written, 3 patients are living for 15, 9, and 4 months (after retransplantation of the liver in the last case), their condition is satisfactory. The death of the other recipients was caused by candidosepsis (on the 40th day), polyorganic insufficiency (on the 10th and 3rd days), sepsis (on the 12th day). The results of the liver transplantation program correspond to those of transplantation centers in other countries in the period of OLT mastering.