Published in:
05-06-2023 | Liver Transplantation | Original Article
Healthcare utilization and outcomes of living donor liver transplantation for patients with APASL-defined acute-on-chronic liver failure
Authors:
Anand V. Kulkarni, Raghuram Reddy, Mithun Sharma, Sowmya Iyengar, Anuhya Rambhatla, Premkumar GV, Balachandran Menon, Padaki Nagaraja Rao, Nageshwar Reddy, K. Rajender Reddy
Published in:
Hepatology International
|
Issue 5/2023
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Abstract
Background
Liver transplantation (LT) is associated with excellent survival in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). There is a lack of data assessing the healthcare utilization and outcomes of patients with APASL-defined ACLF undergoing living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Our aim was to assess pre-LT healthcare utilization and post-LT outcomes in such patients.
Methods
Patients with ACLF who underwent LDLT at our center between 1st April 2019 and 1st October 2021 were included.
Results
Seventy-three ACLF patients willing to undergo LDLT were listed; eighteen patients died within 30 days. Fifty-five patients underwent LDLT (age:38.05 ± 14.76 years; alcohol:52.7%; males:81.8%). Most were in grade II ACLF (87.3%) at the time of LDLT (APASL ACLF Research Consortium [AARC] score: 9.05 ± 1; MELD NA: 28.15 ± 4.13). Survival rate was 72.73%; mean follow-up period of 925.21 days; 58.2% (32/55) developed complications during the first year post-LT; 45% (25/55) and 12.7% (7/55) developed infections within and after 3 months. Pre-LT, each patient required a median of 2 (1–4) admissions for 17 (4–45) days. Fifty-six percent (31/55) of patients underwent plasma exchange pre-LDLT. A median amount of Rs. 8,25,090 (INR 26,000–43,58,154) was spent to stabilize the patient (who were sicker and waited longer to undergo LDLT); though post-LT survival benefit was not observed.
Conclusions
LDLT was associated with 73% survival and, thus, is a viable option in those with APASL-defined ACLF. There was a pre-LT high healthcare resource utilization of plasma exchange, with the intention of optimization, while survival benefit has not been demonstrated.