Perioperative outcome following establishment of deceased donor liver transplantation: A single center experience in Ragama, Sri Lanka

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Liver transplant (LT) perioperative mortality is a good performance indicator among transplant centres. Colombo North Teaching Hospital (CNTH) is the first LT program in Sri Lanka. We aimed to evaluate the perioperative (30 day) outcomes and complications of patients who underwent deceased donor liver transplantation (DOLT) at CNTH between the first 9 DDLTs that were carried out before 2016 (Tl) and the last 10 DDLTs after 2016 (T2). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of pre-operative records, operation notes, discharge and follow up notes were carried out on all patients who underwent DOLT at CNTH. RESULTS: A total of 19-DDLTs were performed during this period. Mean age of the recipients was 50.3 (Tl :52.9, T2:47.9) years: Indications (n) for DDLT were: advanced cirrhosis with high MELD (12), other complications of cirrhosis (3),."cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (3) and acute liver failure (1 ). Aetiology of cirrhosis (n) were: cryptogenic (13), alcohol (3), autoimmune hepatitis (1), other (1). Pre transplant MELD was 16 in Tl and 18 in T2. Average hospital stay was 11.1 days (7.4 days in the intensive care). Perioperative mortality was 4/9 (44%) in Tl and 2/10 (20%) in T2. Mortality was due to PNF (3), sepsis (2) and post-operative reperfusion syndrome (1). Other post-operative complications (in Tl and T2) were: hepatic artery thrombosis (0,0), cholestasis (0, 1 ), acute cellular rejection (0,2), hydrothorax (0,3), clinically significant tacrolimus toxicity (1,o) and acute renal failure (4,2). CONCLUSION: Perioperative mortality has reduced and outcomes improved in the second half indicating success of the CNTH LT program.