Liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease.
Alcoholism is a disease of remission and relapse. A lapse in abstinence tends to be viewed as a failure to commit to abstinence, and an acknowledged relapse may lead to the patient's removal from the liver transplant list; however, such a relapse may actually offer insight into alcoholism. Liver transplant physicians should consider recognizing lapses in abstinence as slips that indicate a need for treatment of alcoholism. Further research should address which alcoholic liver patients suffer relapses and how alcohol relapse affects the ability to maintain abstinence before or after transplantation.
Lucey
Michael R
MR
Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, H5/615 Clinical Sciences Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53711, USA. mrl@medicine.wisc.edu
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D012008:Recurrence; D013695:Temperance