PREVALENCE AND REVERSIBILITY OF THE HEPATOPULMONARY SYNDROME AFTER LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION THE CLEVELAND CLINIC EXPERIENCE

To ascertain the prevalence and reversibility of the hepatopulmonary s yndrome, we reviewed the cases of 98 patients undergoing liver transpl antation at the Cleveland (Ohio) Clinic Foundation from June 1988 thro ugh July 1992 and identified 4 patients with clinically recognized hep atopulmonary syndrome (prevalence 4%). All 4 patients ultimately had c omplete reversal of their disorder. As reviewed herein, the prevalence of the hepatopulmonary syndrome in the current series is lower than i n previous reports, possibly reflecting a dependence on its clinical r ecognition in this series rather than the use of routine screening tes ts. This report confirms previous experience that the hepatopulmonary syndrome may be reversible after transplantation.