Outcome of liver transplantation for hepatopulmonary syndrome: a Eurotransplant experience. Issue 2 (31st January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Raevens, Sarah; Rogiers, Xavier; Geerts, Anja; Verhelst, Xavier; Samuel, Undine; van Rosmalen, Marieke; Berlakovich, Gabriela; Delwaide, Jean; Detry, Olivier; Lehner, Frank; Mittler, Jens; Nadalin, Silvio; Nevens, Frederik; Pirenne, Jacques; Saner, Fuat; Schneeberger, Stefan; Stippel, Dirk; Turk, Jerovšek Marjana; Zoltan, Mathe; Troisi, Roberto Ivan; Van Vlierberghe, Hans; Colle, Isabelle
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 53:Issue 2(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-01-31
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01096-2018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a pulmonary vascular complication of liver disease that affects up to 30% of patients with cirrhosis [1]. Intrapulmonary vascular dilatations and shunts result in gas exchange abnormalities, ranging from elevated alveolar–arterial oxygen gradients with no hypoxaemia to very severe hypoxaemia [1, 2]. Currently, liver transplantation (LT) is the only treatment option [3]. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is a scoring system for assessing liver disease severity that has been validated to predict the 3-month waiting list mortality and is used by Eurotransplant for prioritising allocation of liver transplants [4]. However, this score poorly predicts overall and post-transplant survival, and does not take into account complications that affect outcomes independent of liver disease severity [5]. Equal overall survival among liver transplantation candidates supports current prioritisation policy for severe hepatopulmonary syndrome http://ow.ly/4SQS30mwOtK