Outcomes of liver transplantation for patients with acute liver failure

Abstract

Background: Liver transplantation is a treatment for patients who have acute liver failure (ALF). This study aims to evaluate the outcomes following liver transplantation in patients with ALF and compare them with cirrhotic patients who underwent liver transplantation.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Shiraz Organ Transplant Center between June 2004 and March 2011 to evaluate the clinical presentation and underlying etiology of patients with ALF and their outcomes following liver transplantation.

Results: Out of 750 patients who underwent liver transplants, 12 (8 males and 4 females) had a diagnosis of ALF. The cirrhotic group (control) consisted of 20 transplanted patients. ALF patients were younger with a mean age of 18.7 ± 12.9 years compared to 37.4 ± 13.6 years in the cirrhotic group (P = 0.001). In the ALF group, 5 (41.66%) underwent partial living related liver transplantation compared to 1 (5%) in the cirrhotic group (P = 0.018). There were significantly more early post-transplant complications observed among patients with ALF compared to the cirrhotic group (P = 0.002).

Conclusion: Liver transplantation is safe, effective and should be considered in patients diagnosed with ALF.