Experience of Liver Transplant in Patients Diagnosed with Budd-Chiari Syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Budd-Chiari syndrome can lead to fulminant hepatic failure and cirrhosis. The treatment depends on the severity of disease. Liver transplant is a successful treatment option for those with advanced-stage disease.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, we analyzed all liver transplants conducted for Budd-Chiari syndrome at the organ transplant unit of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from 1993 to January 2016. Overall, 3201 liver transplant procedures were performed. Among these, 68 presented with Budd-Chiari syndrome.


RESULTS
The median age was 31 years among 27 male and 41 female patients. Five patients received pretransplant interventions, with 2 treated with inferior vena cava stenting and 3 having transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Sixty-five patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome received deceased-donor grafts and 3 received living-donor grafts. Among the Budd-Chiari transplant patients, 6 patients died. Five deaths occurred in the early posttransplant period, and 1 patient retransplanted after 2 years for recurrence of disease died due to graft failure. The five-year survival rate was 89% among patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver transplant along with posttransplant anticoagulation therapy can improve the survival of patients with advanced-stage Budd-Chiari syndrome.
From the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan.
Syed Muhammad
SM
Raza
Saima
S
Zainab
Ali Reza
AR
Shamsaeefar
Saman
S
Nikeghbalian
Seyed Ali
SA
Malek Hosseini
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006502:Budd-Chiari Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D000925:Anticoagulants