title: Liver transplantation for alcoholic liver disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lucey
mesh_terms: 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