Hospitalization rates before and after adult-to-adult living donor or deceased donor liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To compare rates of hospitalization before and after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplant (LDLT) and deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT).


BACKGROUND
LDLT recipients have been reported to have lower mortality but a higher complication rate than DDLT recipients. The higher complication rate may be associated with greater consumption of inpatient hospital resources and a higher burden of disease for LDLT recipients.


METHODS
Data from the 9-center Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation retrospective cohort study were analyzed to determine pretransplant, transplant, and posttransplant hospitalizations among LDLT candidates (potential living donor was evaluated) who received LDLT or DDLT. Hospital days and admission rates for LDLT and DDLT patients were calculated per patient-year at risk, starting from the date of initial potential donor history and physical examination. Rates were compared using overdispersed Poisson regression models.


RESULTS
Among 806 candidates, 384 received LDLT and 215 received DDLT. In addition to the 599 transplants, there were 1913 recipient hospitalizations (485 pretransplant; 1428 posttransplant). Mean DDLT recipient pretransplant, transplant, and posttransplant lengths of stay were 5.8 +/- 6.3, 27.0 +/- 32.6, and 9.0 +/- 14.1 days, respectively, and for LDLT were 4.1 +/- 3.7, 21.4 +/- 24.3, and 7.8 +/- 11.4 days, respectively. Compared with DDLT, LDLT recipients had significantly lower adjusted pretransplant hospital day and admission rates, but significantly higher posttransplant rates. Significantly higher LDLT admission rates were observed for biliary tract morbidity throughout the second posttransplant year. Overall hospitalization rates starting from the point of potential donor evaluation were significantly higher for eventual recipients of LDLT.


CONCLUSIONS
LDLT recipients, despite lower acuity of disease, have higher hospitalization requirements when compared with DDLT recipients. Continuing efforts are warranted to reduce the incidence of complications requiring post-LDLT inpatient admission, with particular emphasis on biliary tract issues.
Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. merionb@umich.edu
Robert M
RM
Merion
Tempie H
TH
Shearon
Carl L
CL
Berg
James E
JE
Everhart
Michael M
MM
Abecassis
Abraham
A
Shaked
Robert A
RA
Fisher
James F
JF
Trotter
Robert S
RS
Brown
Norah A
NA
Terrault
Paul H
PH
Hayashi
Johnny C
JC
Hong
D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors