Auxiliary Liver Transplantation as a Transient Treatment for Acute Liver Failure: Two Cases

Abstract

Introduction: Acute liver failure is an uncommon condition associated with a high mortality. Most patients do not survive without liver transplantation. In the last decades, auxiliary liver transplantation has emerged as a therapeutic option. Clinical Case: The authors present two cases of acute liver failure that required liver transplantation. Given the patients’ young age and the preserved macroscopic liver pattern evaluated in surgery, auxiliary liver transplantation was executed using different surgical approaches. Afterwards, following confirmed full native liver regeneration, the patients were submitted to auxiliary liver hepatectomy, which was accomplished without complications. Conclusion: Auxiliary liver transplantation can be regarded as an effective temporary treatment for acute liver failure in selected cases, allowing an immunosuppression-free life.

Keywords

• Acute liver failure
• Liver transplantation
• Auxiliary liver transplantation
• Immunosuppression