A comparison of the costs and effects of liver transplantation for acute and for chronic liver failure

Little is known about costs and cost-effectiveness of liver transplantation (LTx) for acute liver failure compared to costs and cost-effectiveness of LTx for chronic liver failure. In this study, costs of acute and of chronic LTx patients were determined in a retrospective study. Files of 100 consec utive patients who underwent LTx in 1993-1997 were studied. Costs up to 1 y ear after LTx were Euro 107,675 (chronic liver failure) and Euro 90,792 (ac ute liver failure). The difference was mainly caused by higher hospitalisat ion costs and higher personnel costs for chronic liver failure. Medication costs for acute liver failure were higher, due to a high administration rat e of expensive anti-HBs immunoglobulin therapy in patients with viral hepat itis B. LTx for chronic liver failure is more costly and seems to be more c ost-effective than LTx for acute liver failure, since 1-year survival is hi gher in patients who underwent transplantation for chronic liver failure.