Liver transplantation : experience at King Hussein Medical Center, Jordan

Abstract EN

Objective : To review the experience and outcome of liver transplantation recipients at King Hussein Medical Center.

Methods : We retrospectively analyzed the results of 67 liver transplantations; 65 living-related donor liver transplantations for 64 recipients and two cadaveric donor liver transplantation at King Hussein Medical Center between June 2004 and December 2011.

The grafts were : 60 right liver lobes, four left liver lobes, one hepatic segments II and III and two whole livers (cadaveric).

All living donors were closely related to the recipients except for the cadavers.

Data were obtained by a specially designed medical record abstract form.

Of the 67 liver transplantations, the first 42, were performed under the supervision of the Turkish liver transplantation team.

Six recipients had concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis.

Retransplantation was performed for one recipient.

Simple descriptive statistical methods (frequency, mean and percentage) were used to describe the study variables.

Results : Total mortality rate was 11 (17 %).

The causes of death were sepsis in four patients, hepatic arterial thromboses in three patients, small-for-size in one patient, and porto-pulmonary hypertension in one patient.

Morbidity rate was 49 (73.1 %).

The main causes of morbidity were biliary leaks in 13 patients, biliary stricture in nine patients, recurrence of primary disease in nine patients acute rejection in five patients, wound infection in four patients, and bile duct stones in one patient.

The follow-up period ranged between one month to 90 months (average 45.5 months).

One and three year survival rates were 80 % and 70.2 % respectively.

However, most complications have been treated with interventional techniques.

All living donors are alive in a good health and returned to their normal life.

Conclusions : In view of critical shortage of cadaveric donor liver transplantation, living-donor liver transplantation is an opportune option for patients with decompensated liver disease in Jordan.

Our patients’ outcome is improving with time and this could be attributed to gaining more experience and by-passing the learning curve by the liver transplantation team in our center.