Pediatric Liver Transplantation Outcomes for Metabolic and Non-metabolic Diseases in Turkey: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Aim:Liver transplantation (LT) is performed for several indications in the pediatric population, including malignancy and acute hepatic failure among others. LT has become an important treatment alternative for metabolic diseases. In most pediatric transplant centers, metabolic liver disease is the second most common indication for LT after biliary atresia. Our studies aim is to compare the post-transplant outcomes of those patients with metabolic and other liver diseases in our transplant program.Materials and Methods:One hundred eighty-nine patients who underwent LT between 1997 and 2015 due to metabolic diseases and acute or chronic liver failure were included in the study. This study was performed retrospectively.Results:We enrolled 189 patients in our study. 54% (n=102) male and 46% (n=87) female patients were included in the study. The metabolic disease group included 56 patients and the non-metabolic disease group contained 133 patients. Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis is the most common disease among metabolic diseases resulting in LT and Wilson disease is the second most common. Post-transplant immunosuppression was similar for both groups. There was no difference in both groups regarding the onset of post-transplant complications for graft type or recipient age. Biliary and portal vein complications were most particularly defined in the group with non-metabolic diseases. There was no significant difference in survival between the two groups.Conclusion:LT is an important treatment option for acute hepatic failure and end-stage liver diseases. In addition, LT is an alternative treatment option for some metabolic diseases.

Keywords

• Complications
• non-metabolic diseases
• metabolic diseases
• liver
• survival
• transplantation