Auxiliary versus orthotopic liver transplantation for acute liver failure

Background/Aims/Methods: We report 1-year results after auxiliary liver tra nsplantation for acute liver failure in a cohort of 47 patients transplante d in 12 European centers as compared with those of 384 consecutive patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation for acute liver failure in the Eurotransplant area. Results: One-year patient survival resp, retransplant-free patient survival did not differ between orthotopic (61%, 232/384 resp. 52%, 200/384) and au xiliary liver transplantation (62%, 29/47 resp, 53%, 25/47). One-year patie nt survival resp, retransplant-free patient survival after auxiliary partia l orthotopic liver transplantation was 71% (25/35) resp 60% (21/35), not si gnificantly different from orthotopic liver transplantation (61%, 232/384 r esp, 52%, 200/384), while both transplantation techniques had better 1-year patient survival resp, retransplant-free patient survival than after heter otopic auxiliary liver transplantation (33%, 4/12) (p<0.05). Primary nonfun ction was more frequent after heterotopic auxiliary liver transplantation ( 3/12, 25%) than after orthotopic liver transplantation (21/384, 5.5%), whil e the incidence did not differ between orthotopic liver transplantation and auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (3/35, 8.5%). Portal ve in thrombosis was more frequent after both heterotopic auxiliary liver tran splantation (5/12, 42%) and auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantat ion (5/35, 14%) than after orthotopic liver transplantation (2/384, 0.5%) ( p<0.001). Of the patients, 65% (17/26) surviving auxiliary liver transplant ation for 1 year without retransplantation by orthotopic liver transplantat ion were free of immunosuppression within 1 year, compared with none of the patients transplanted by orthotopic liver transplantation (p<0.01). Conclusions: Auxiliary liver transplantation, especially auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation, offers an advantage over orthotopic liver transplantation in acute liver failure in terms of a chance of a life free of immunosuppression, apparently without jeopardizing chances of survival. Reduction of the incidence of primary nonfunction and vascular complicatio ns should be a focus of research in auxiliary liver transplantation. These findings need to be confirmed in a prospective study.