Female Gender of the Recipient Is Independently Associated With Prolonged Ventilation Time and Hospital Stay After Liver Transplantation

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough female patients are associated with several complications after liver transplantation (OLT), its role in short-term postoperative outcomes is not known. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between female gender and ventilation time and hospital stay after OLT. MethodsAfter receiving institutional review board approval, we studied adult patients who underwent OLT at our center between 2004 and 2013. Female and male recipients were compared by using Student t and χ2 tests. Risk factors were confirmed in multivariate logistic models. ResultsOf 1476 patients, 490 were female. Compared with male counterparts, female recipients had more severe disease and comorbidities. Intraoperatively, the 2 groups were similar except for blood transfusion. Postoperatively, female recipients required significantly longer ventilation time (median, 3 days [interquartile range (IQR), 2–5], vs median, 2 [IQR, 1–5]; P = .009) and duration of hospital stay (median, 23 [IQR, 15–46] vs median, 18 [IQR, 12–34]; P < .001) compared with male recipients. Female gender was an independent risk factor for prolonged posttransplant ventilation time (≥3 days; odds ratio [OR], 1.65; P < .001) and hospital stay (≥19 days; OR, 1.48; P = .003). ConclusionsFemale gender of the recipient is associated with significantly longer ventilation time and hospital stay after OLT and the management should be tailored to the unique characteristics and susceptibility to postoperative complications in female patients.