Abstract
Prolonged hyperbilirubinemia (HB) following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) can be a risk factor for early graft loss and mortality. However, some recipients who present with postoperative hyperbilirubinemia do recover and maintain a good liver function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia following LDLT and to identify predictors of the outcomes in patients with post-transplant hyperbilirubinemia. A total of 107 consecutive adults who underwent LDLT in Nagasaki University Hospital were investigated retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to postoperative peak serum bilirubin level (HB group: ≥ 30 mg/dl; non-HB group: <30 mg/dl). These two groups of patients and the prognosis of patients in the HB group were analyzed using several parameters. Seventeen patients (15.9 %) presented with hyperbilirubinemia, and their overall survival was significantly worse than patients in the non-HB group (n = 90). Donor age was significantly higher in the HB group (P < 0.05). Of the 17 patients in the HB group, nine survived. The postoperative serum prothrombin level at the time when the serum bilirubin level was >30 mg/dl was significantly higher in surviving patients (P < 0.01). The use of a partial liver graft from an aged donor is a significant risk factor for severe hyperbilirubinemia and a poorer outcome. However, those patients who maintain their liver synthetic function while suffering from hyperbilirubinemia may recover from hyperbilirubinemia and eventually achieve good liver function, thus resulting in a favorable survival.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.