Liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, and hepatic neoplasms.
In closing, it is important to note that the indications for liver transplantation are not static but rather are remarkably dynamic and capable of change over time. Thus yesterday's major indications can become relative contraindications, while yesterday's absolute contraindications have become today's nuisances. The goal for physicians who care for individuals with problems such as alcoholic liver disease, viral hepatitis, and hepatic cancer should be to develop new strategies of care that will ultimately eliminate these diseases as problems, rather than eliminating individuals with such health problems from currently available health options. In other words, physicians who accept the responsibility for a patient's life should be searching for the best form of therapy available for their patient rather than examining the reasons that exist for limiting one's choice in health care.
Van Thiel
D H
DH
Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
Carr
B
B
Iwatsuki
S
S
Tzakis
A
A
Fung
J J
JJ
Starzl
T E
TE
D000328:Adult; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000601:surgery*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis