[Rehabilitation of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis after orthotopic liver transplantation: a 7-year follow-up].
Alcoholic liver cirrhosis is the main indication for orthotopic liver transplantation. Since 1988, 52 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis have been transplanted at the Department of Surgery of the University of Heidelberg. The survival rates are as follows: 73% of the patients survived for 1 year, 68% for 2 and 3 years, 64% for 4 years, and 57% survived for 5 years. After transplantation, recidivism occurred in 6 patients. Remarkable in this case was the fact that all 6 patients had a relatively short period of abstention prior to surgery (2 to 5 months). In 12 patients, a small carcinoma was found in the cirrhotic liver. This had neither been seen previously by ultrasound nor by computer tomography. In summary, orthotopic liver transplantation is an excellent mode of treatment in end-stage alcoholic liver cirrhosis. However, the patients have to be carefully selected in order to avoid recidivism following transplantation.
Reeck
U H
UH
Abt. IV, Pathologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg.
Egerer
G
G
Otto
G
G
Hoffmann
W
W
Arnold
J C
JC
Theilmann
L
L
Conradt
C
C
Herfarth
C
C
Seitz
H K
HK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate