Adult liver transplantation: what non-specialists need to know

doi:10.1136/bmj.b1670

Published 22 May 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1670
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1670

Clinical Review

Adult liver transplantation: what non-specialists need to know

G M Hirschfield, assistant professor of medicine and general hepatologist¹, P Gibbs, consultant in liver transplant surgery², W J H Griffiths, consultant transplant hepatologist²

¹ Liver Centre, Toronto Western Hospital/University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 2S8, ² Hepatology and Liver Transplant Service, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK

Correspondence to: G M Hirschfield gideon.hirschfield@uhn.on.ca

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Potential transplant recipients often outnumberdonors

Improved donor schemes, broader donor criteria, splitliver grafts, and live donors (who donate a portion of theirliver) can increase the number of transplants

Long term survivalafter transplant is excellent

Family doctors are importantin the management and monitoring of hypertension, diabetes,hyperlipidaemia, and renal function, and in cancer surveillanceafter the transplant

The prevention of end stage liver diseaseand the early detection of liver complications could reducethe number of transplants needed

There have been few large-scalerandomised controlled trials and Cochrane reviews on liver transplantation;data mostly come from extensive registry descriptions, multiplecase-series, or small trials. We have combined our knowledgewith that published in recent guidelines and in articles identifiedby Pubmed searches with the term liver transplantation.

The UK has approximately 6 000 surviving liver transplant recipients,¹and annually about 600 people with liver disease receive . . . [Full text of this article]

Acute/subacute (approximately 10% of transplants)
Chronic(usually underlying cirrhosis)

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