[Long-term results after liver transplantation]

Chirurg. 2008 Feb;79(2):121-9. doi: 10.1007/s00104-007-1457-7.
[Article in German]

Abstract

Liver transplantation has been reported to reach excellent results for selected indications. We analysed the results of liver transplantation in our centre over a period of 23 years, with a total of 2,114 consecutive liver transplants in 1,773 patients (eras I-III 5.5 years each, era IV 6.5 years). Overall 20-year survival after liver transplantation was 29.8%. The most frequent leading causes of death were infections of various origins (30%), tumour recurrence (14.2%), and pneumonia (8.4%). The most frequent leading causes for graft loss were infection of various origins (19.6%), initial nonfunction of the graft (14.6%), and tumour recurrence (9.6%). Both long-term patient and graft survival were significantly better after primary liver transplantation than after first retransplantation (P<0.001). Patient and graft long-term survival improved significantly across all four consecutive eras (P<0.001). In era IV, the most recent, 5-year patient survival reached 96% for PBC, 89.4% for PSC, 78.5% for biliary atresia, 70% for acute liver failure, 69.1% for HBV-related cirrhosis, 61.3% for hepatocellular carcinoma, and 56% for HCV-related cirrhosis.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Cause of Death
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Diffusion of Innovation
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Germany
  • Graft Survival
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Liver Failure / mortality
  • Liver Failure / surgery*
  • Liver Neoplasms / mortality
  • Liver Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Liver Transplantation*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Postoperative Complications / etiology*
  • Postoperative Complications / mortality
  • Postoperative Complications / surgery
  • Prognosis
  • Reoperation
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / etiology
  • Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / mortality