Transplant Center Attitudes Toward Early Liver Transplant for Alcohol-associated Liver Disease

Abstract

Background: Many centers have removed 6-mo pretransplant alcohol abstinence requirements to provide early liver transplant (ELT) for individuals with severe alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), but the practice remains controversial. Using data collected from a nationally distributed survey, this study examines the practices and attitudes of transplant centers in the United States regarding ELT.

Methods: A 20-item survey designed to assess center practices and provider attitudes was distributed to 225 medical and surgical directors from 143 liver transplant centers via email.

Results: Surveys were completed by 28.9% (n = 65) of directors and 39% (n = 56) of transplant centers. All responding centers reported evaluating patients for ELT. Circumstances for considering ELT included <6 mo of survival without a transplant (96.4%) and inability to participate in alcohol addiction therapy pretransplant (75%). Most (66%) directors indicated their center had established criteria for listing candidates with severe ALD for ELT. Regarding important factors for ELT candidate listing, 57.1% indicated patient survival, 37.5% indicated graft survival, and 55.4% indicated having a low risk of relapse. Only 12.7% of directors affirmed the statement, "Six months of pretransplant abstinence decreases the risk of relapse."

Conclusions: More centers are providing ELT for severe ALD. Inability to participate in alcohol addiction therapy and <6 mo of survival are commonly reported circumstances for considering ELT. Continued investigation of posttransplant outcomes in patients receiving ELT is essential to establishing a national consensus for distributing this valuable resource.