Liver Retransplantation: The Changing Scenario in a Tertiary Medical Center

Abstract

AimTo analyze the causes of liver retransplantation (LRT), which mostly depend on recipient factors. Materials and MethodsA descriptive, observational, and unicentric study including patients who underwent an LRT in a tertiary medical center between April 2002 and December 2018. Recipient, donor, and liver transplant data were collected. ResultsDuring the period under review a total of 468 transplants were made; among them, 32 (6.8%) were LRT. The most common indication (25%) was hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) developing ischemic cholangiopathy followed by chronic rejection (21.8%). Late LRT was performed in 71.8%. A total of 96.8% of donations were after brain death with a donor median age of 65 years. Six patients (18.7%) had HAT as a postoperative complication. The recipients’ 3-, 6-, and 12-month overall survival was 72.7%, 54.6%, and 51.5%, respectively, and the 5-year was 46.8%. Leading cause of death was septic shock (42.1%). ConclusionIn our patients, the most common cause of LRT is HAT. We had an LRT rate of 6.8%, which is consistent with national and international registers.