Liver transplantation in primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract

The proportion of patients who undergo liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is steadily declining. This decline is partly from the increasing number of patients undergoing transplantation for other indications, but also perhaps because of the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on the natural history of this condition. Nevertheless, patients who have PBC still constitute approximately 11% of all patients undergoing transplantation for cirrhosis. The prognosis after transplantation is excellent, with an approximately 80% 5-year survival reported by most large centres. Liver transplantation also significantly improves quality of life in survivors. The disease may recur after surgery in up to one third of patients, but recurrence has not been shown to have a significant effect on patients' survival in the medium term.