[Piggy-back liver transplantation in treating acute liver failure patients: a report of 15 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical significance of piggy-back liver transplantation in treating acute liver failure (ALF).


METHODS
Fifteen ALF patients (13 caused by HBV and 2 with acute Wilson disease) had piggy-back liver transplantations (PBLT) in our hospital from Sept 1999 to Feb 2006. The outcomes of these patients were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
One year survival rate of the 15 patients was 87% (13/15). Excellent outcome was achieved in the 2 acute Wilson disease cases: their corneal Kayser-Fleischer rings disappeared and serum ceruloplasmin levels returned to normal. Among the 15 cases, one died of severe pulmonary infection and another died of multiple organ system failure on the 6th and 11th postoperative days. HBsAg positivity was observed in 13 cases before liver transplantation. Eleven patients survived and later received anti-HBV treatment recommended by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Their HBsAg became negative.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver transplantation is an effective therapy for ALF and can improve survival rate significantly.
Ye
Qi-fa
QF
Institute of Organ Transplantation, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China. yqf_china@163.com
Chen
Wan-ping
WP
Ming
Ying-zi
YZ
Li
Ke
K
Ren
Zhu-hai
ZH
She
Xing-guo
XG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult