The haemodynamic effects of the perioperative terlipressin infusion in living donor liver transplantation: A randomised controlled study

Abstract

Background and Aims: Liver disease is usually accompanied with a decline in systemic vascular resistance (SVR). We decided to assess effects of the peri-operative terlipressin infusion on liver donor liver transplantation recipients with respect to haemodynamics and renal parameters. Methods: After Ethical Committee approval for this prospective randomised controlled study, 50 recipients were enrolled and allotted to control (n = 25) or terlipressin group (n = 25) with simple randomisation method. Terlipressin was infused at 1.0 μg/kg/h and later titrated 1.0-4.0 μg/kg/h to maintain mean arterial pressure (MAP) >65 mmHg and SVR index 0.05) and was sustained post-operatively. Conclusion: Terlipressin improved SVR and MAP with less need for catecholamines particularly post-reperfusion. Terlipressin reduced PPV without hepatic artery vasoconstriction and improved post-operative UOP.

Keywords

• Haemodynamics
• liver
• renal
• terlipressin
• transplantation