Liver transplantation in children with metabolic diseases: the studies of pediatric liver transplantation experience

Pediatr Transplant. 2010 Sep 1;14(6):796-805. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2010.01339.x. Epub 2010 Jun 27.

Abstract

Metabolic diseases are the second largest indication for LT in children after BA. There are limited data on the long-term post-transplant outcome in this unique group of patients. Therefore, our aim was to assess post-liver transplant outcomes and to evaluate risk factors for mortality and graft loss in children with metabolic disorders in comparison to those with non-metabolic diagnoses. We reviewed all patients enrolled in the SPLIT registry. Between 1995 and 2008, 446 of 2997 (14.9%) children enrolled in SPLIT underwent liver transplant for metabolic diseases. One-yr and five-yr patient survival for children with metabolic diseases was 94.6% and 88.9% and for those with other diseases 90.7% and 86.1% (log-rank p = 0.05), respectively. One-yr and five-yr graft survival for children with metabolic disorders was 90.8% and 83.8%, and for those with other diseases 85.4% and 78.0% (log-rank p = 0.005), respectively. Children with metabolic diseases were less likely to experience gastrointestinal complications (5.6% vs. 10.7%, p = 0.001), portal vein thrombosis (2.9% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.04), and reoperations within 30 days post-transplant (33.4% vs. 37.8%, p = 0.05) than those with other indications. In conclusion, children who underwent liver transplant for metabolic disease had similarly excellent patient survival as, and better graft survival than, those who received a liver allograft for other indications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Cause of Death
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Graft Survival
  • Hepatic Artery
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Kidney Diseases / epidemiology
  • Liver Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Liver Transplantation / mortality
  • Male
  • Metabolic Diseases / mortality
  • Metabolic Diseases / surgery*
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Portal Vein
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
  • Registries
  • Renal Dialysis
  • Reoperation / statistics & numerical data
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Thrombosis / epidemiology
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Venous Thrombosis / epidemiology