title: Late retransplantation of the liver: a single-centre experience.
abstract: Liver retransplantation is considered to carry a higher risk than primary transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyse a single-center experience with late liver retransplantation. The overall rate of primary retransplantation was 11% (30 re-OLT out of 272 primary OLT). fiftten of these (50%) had retransplantation more than 3 months after the first transplant and were analyzed by reviewing their medical records. Causes of primary graft failure leading to retransplantation were chronic hepatic artery thrombosis in 6 cases (40%), HCV cirrhotic recurrence in 4 cases (28%), chronic rejection in 2 cases (14%), veno-occlusive disease, hepatic vein thrombosis and idiopathic graft failure in 1 case each (6%). UNOS status at re-OLT was 2A in all cases. All patients were hospitalised, and three of them were in intensive care. One- and two-year patient and graft survival rates were 80% and 66% and 66% and 59%, respectively. Death occurred in 5 patients, including 2 of the 3 admitted to the intensive care unit at the time of retransplantation, who died after a mean interval of 15 +/- 9 days from retransplantation. Retransplantation should be considered a very efficient way of saving lives, especially when the optimal timing for its execution is defined.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Clinica Chirurgica e Trapianti d'Organo, Università degli Studi di Udine.
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Adani
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Baccarani
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Risaliti
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bresadola
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Terrosu
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sainz-Barriga
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lorenzin
authors.forename: Annibale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uzzau
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bresadola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors