Cumulative experience with pediatric living related liver transplantation

Purpose: This study reports the authors' cumulative experience with pediatr ic living related orthotopic liver transplantation. Methods: The charts of all patients who received living-related liver trans plantation to study complications of transplant surgery, immunosuppression, rejection, and overall survival rate were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Between November 1992 and October 1998, 30 children underwent livi ng-related liver transplantation. Patients were between the ages of 3 month s and 7 years of age (mean, 28 months). All received left lateral segmental living-related transplants. At the time of transplant, 14 of 30 patients w ere listed as United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) status 3, 11 were list ed as UNOS status 2B, and 5 were listed as UNOS status 1. Indications for t ransplant included biliary atresia (n = 21), alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (n = 2), hepatitis C (n = 2), giant cell hepatitis (n = 2), hepatoblastoma (n = 1), valproic acid toxicity (n = 1), and hemangioendothelioma (n = 1). All donors were parents except for one uncle. There were no major donor co mplications. Minor complications included wound infection (n = 4), ventral hernia (n = 2), postoperative gastric dysmotility (n = 2), and 1 case of ce ntral line-related pneumothorax (n = 1). All but 4 recipients received prim ary tacrolimus immunosuppressive regimens, and the other 4 underwent conver sion from cyclosporine. Initial tacrolimus therapy was begun at 0.15 mg/kg/ dose PO/NG every 12 hours. Concomitant immunosuppression included methylpre dnisolone and mycophenolate mofetil. Fifty-three percent of patients experi enced at least 1 episode of rejection, and 27% experienced multiple episode s. Immediate postoperative complications included primary nonfunction (n = 2), vascular thrombosis (n = 3), biliary leaks (n = 3), and infections (n = 17). Two patients (n = 2) required retransplantation. Complications of imm unosuppressive therapy included persistent systemic hypertension (n = 6), r enal tubular acidosis (n = 3), short-term hyperglycemia (n = 2), neuro toxi city (n = 2), nephrotoxicity(n = 2), food allergies (n = 8), and posttransp lant lymphoproliferative disease (n = 4). All patients with PTLD were treat ed with immunosuppression reduction or withdrawal. Two of 4 had disease pro gression requiring chemotherapy. The majority of complications were treated with dose adjustments. There were 4 early deaths (13%): 1 of primary nonfu nction, 2 of sepsis, and 1 of arrhythmia and renal failure. There was 1 lat e death of recurrent disease. Twenty-five patients (83%) are alive at 3 mon ths to 6 years post-transplant. Conclusion: Living-related orthotopic liver transplantation is an effective intervention for pediatric patients with end-stage disease. Copyright (C) 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.