Paediatric Liver Transplant at Army Liver Transplant Unit, Pakistan; A Four-Year Data

Abstract

Objective: To re-examine the data about survival, prognosis, and complications of twenty-five paediatric liver transplant procedures carried out at Army Liver Transplant Unit, Pak Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Study Design: Retrospective longitudinal study. Place and Duration of Study: Army Liver Transplant Unit, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from Jan 2016 to Feb 2020. Methodology: The procedural and follow-up data regarding twenty-five pediatric liver transplants was reviewed, and demographic variables, transplant indications and outcomes were documented. Results: The donation was entirely from living donors. Recipients included 12 boys and 13 girls of mean age 5.8±2.00 years. The stay at the hospital averaged 18±5.6 days. Indications in the order of frequency of encounter included 9(36%) cases of Cryptogenic liver cirrhosis, 4(16%) cases of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, 3(12%) cases of Wilson’s disease, 2(8%) cases of Tyrosinemia, congenital hepatic fibrosis and biliary atresia each and one patient (4%) of Criggler-Najjar syndrome, glycogen storage diseases and autoimmune liver disease each. Major complications included viral infections, thrombosis of the portal vein and hepatic artery, bile leak and post-transplant diaphragmatic hernia. 20(80%) recipients were recorded to have survived during the follow-up. Conclusion: Encouraging results are noted, particularly a high survival rate (20 out of 25) and low complications (few and only well-known in this age group).