title: Comparison of short- and long-term outcomes after early versus late liver retransplantation: a single-center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As the survival of patients after liver transplantation (LT) improves, the requirement of liver retransplantation (reLT) for late graft failure has grown. Although some have reported that the short-term outcome of late reLT was comparable with that of early reLT, it remains unknown whether long-term survival of late reLT is inferior to that of early reLT patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed early (<6 mo after primary LT) and late (≥6 mo after primary LT) reLT cases performed between January 2000 and December 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen early and 32 late reLT cases were analyzed. There was no significant difference regarding the number of units of red blood cells transfused during the transplantation between the groups, whereas operative time was significantly longer in the late reLT cases. Graft loss within 3 mo after early and late reLT was 18.6% and 15.6%, respectively. Patient and graft survival rates after 1, 3, 5, and 10 y in the late reLT group were 80.6%, 73.3%, 73.3%, and 67.7% and 80.7%, 69.1%, 63.3%, and 54.3%, respectively, whereas those in the early reLT group were 75.0%, 75.0%, 64.3%, and 64.3% and 81.3%, 75.0%, 64.3%, and 32.1%, respectively. There was no significant difference in patient or graft survival rates between the groups (P = 0.91 and 0.91, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acceptable short- and long-term survival were provided in early and late reLT. The time between the primary LT and reLT does not seem to play significant role in the prognosis of reLT in the long term.
authors: Multi-Organ Transplant Program, University Hospital of Western Ontario, London Health Science Centre, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: kamei@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors: Hideya
authors: H
authors: Kamei
authors: Mamoun
authors: M
authors: Al-Basheer
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Shum
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Bloch
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Wall
authors: Douglas
authors: D
authors: Quan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D051799:Delayed Graft Function / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Graft failure; Late liver retransplantation; Liver transplantation; Long-term outcome