Access to liver transplantation: can we do a better job?

500 Consecutive Liver Transplants: The Outcomes of a New Transplantation Program in the Middle West of Brazil

INTRODUCTION

Liver transplantation is the standard treatment for end-stage liver disease. Brazil holds the third highest number of liver transplants performed per year, but center maldistribution results in high discrepancies in accessing this treatment. In 2012, an interstate partnership successfully implemented a new liver transplantation program in the middle west of Brazil. Here, we report the results of the first 500 liver transplants performed in this new program and discuss the impacts of a new transplant center in regional transplantation dynamics.

METHODS

We reviewed data from the first 500 consecutive deceased donor liver transplants performed in the new program during an 8-year period. We analyzed data on patients' clinical and demographic profiles, postoperative outcomes, and graft and recipient survival rates. Univariate survival analysis was conducted using log-rank tests to compare the groups.

RESULTS

Almost half (48%) of the procured organs and 40% of the recipients transplanted in our center were from outside our state. Recipient 30-day mortality was 9%. Overall recipient survival at 1 year and 5 years was 85% and 80%, respectively. Mortality was significantly associated with higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (P < .001) but not with the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (P = .795).

DISCUSSION

The new transplantation program treated patients from different regions of Brazil and became the reference center in liver transplantation for the middle west region. Despite the recent implementation, our outcomes are comparable to experienced centers around the world. This model can inspire the creation of new transplantation programs aiming to democratize access to liver transplantation nationwide.

Quality of Care Provided by Hepatologists to Patients with Cirrhosis at Three Parallel Health Systems

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based guidelines and quality indicators for cirrhosis care have been established. Whether there are variations in adherence to these cirrhosis standards at different specialty settings has not been investigated.

AIMS

To evaluate the quality of cirrhosis care delivered at diverse hepatology care sites.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective study comparing the quality of care at three hepatology specialty clinics: a Faculty Practice, safety-net hospital, and Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. Consecutive patients with cirrhosis (85 Faculty Practice, 81 safety-net, and 76 VA) between 2010 and 2011 were included. Median follow-up was 2.3 years. Outcome measures were the adherence to six cirrhosis-specific quality-of-care indicators.

RESULTS

Adherence to hepatitis A and B vaccinations was highest at the safety-net hospital, 81 and 74 %, compared to 46 and 30 % at the Faculty Practice (P < .001). Adherence to yearly hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance was highest at the safety-net site (79 %) versus the VA (50 %) and Faculty Practice (42 %), P = .001. In contrast, screening rates for esophageal varices were 75 % at the Faculty Practice and only 58 and 43 % at the VA and safety-net sites, respectively (P < .001). Liver transplant discussions were documented most consistently at the Faculty Practice (82 %) compared to the safety-net site (53 %) and VA (54 %), P < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

Disparities in cirrhosis quality measures existed by site. Strategies to overcome these disparities need to be developed to improve the delivery of quality cirrhosis care as we face a rise in cirrhosis-related complications over the next two decades.

Predictors of relapse to significant alcohol drinking after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

End-stage alcoholic liver disease is common, with many of these patients referred for liver transplantation (LT). Alcohol relapse after LT can have detrimental outcomes such as graft loss and can contribute to a negative public perception of LT.

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors that predict the recurrence of harmful alcohol consumption after LT.

METHODS

A total of 80 patients who underwent LT for alcoholic cirrhosis or had significant alcohol consumption in association with another primary liver disease, from July 1992 to June 2006 in British Columbia, were retrospectively evaluated by chart review. Several demographic-, psychosocial- and addiction-related variables were studied. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test possible associations among the variables studied and a return to harmful drinking after LT.

RESULTS

The relapse rate of harmful alcohol consumption post-liver transplant was 10%, with two patient deaths occurring directly as a result of alcohol relapse. Univariate analysis revealed relapse was significantly associated with pretransplant abstinence of less than six months (P=0.003), presence of psychiatric comorbidities (P=0.016), female sex (P=0.019) and increased personal stressors (P=0.044), while age at transplant of younger than 50 years approached significance (P=0.054). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed the following independent factors for relapse: pretransplant abstinence of less than six months (OR 77.07; standard error 1.743; P=0.013) and female sex (OR 18.80; standard error 1.451; P=0.043).

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study strongly support a required minimum of six months of abstinence before LT because duration of abstinence was found to be the strongest predictor of recidivism. Female sex, younger age at transplant and psychiatric comorbidities were also associated with relapse to harmful drinking.

A critical review of candidacy for orthotopic liver transplantation in alcoholic liver disease

The majority of candidates with end-stage alcoholic liver disease (ESALD) in the United States who are eligible for referral for liver transplantation (LT) are not being referred. There is a lack of firm consensus for the duration of abstinence from alcohol as well as what constitutes good psychosocial criteria for listing for LT. Evidence shows that the general public and the practicing physicians outside the transplant community perceive that patients with a history of alcohol abuse will make poor transplant candidates. However, physicians in the transplant community perceive selected patients with ESALD as good candidates. When considering patients for listing for LT, 3 months of alcohol abstinence may be more ideal than 6 months. Patients with a lack of social support, active smoking, psychotic or personality disorders, or a pattern of nonadherence should be listed only with reservation. Those who have a diagnosis of alcohol abuse as opposed to alcohol dependence may make better transplant candidates. Patients who have regular appointments with a psychiatrist or psychologist in addictions treatment training also seem to do more favorably.

Greater travel time to a liver transplant center does not adversely affect clinical outcomes

The effect of patient travel time to a transplant center on outcomes is unknown. We compared outcomes between patients living >3 hours (Group A) vs. <or=3 (Group B) hours drive away. Adult, nonacute liver failure patients entering transplant evaluation from February 27, 2002 to January 31, 2005 were analyzed. Of 166 patients, 126 (75.5%) were listed and 66 (39.5%) received transplantation. Outcomes of interest were >90 days to list, listing, survival while listed, transplantation, and posttransplantation survival. Covariates included Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), alcoholic liver disease, insurance type, and psychosocial score. There were 38 (23%) patients in Group A and 128 (77%) in Group B. Median MELD scores were 14.5 (range, 6-36) for Group A and 14.0 (range, 7-32) for Group B (p = 0.20). Groups were similar for age, gender, diagnosis, psychosocial score, insurance, and HCC variables. Group A was not independently associated with >90 days to list (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4-2.4). Kaplan-Meier cumulative probabilities for listing, transplantation, and 1-yr posttransplantation survival were similar (A vs. B: 0.77 vs. 0.83, 0.70 vs. 0.69, and 0.85 vs. 0.86, respectively; all p values >0.05). Being in Group A remained insignificant in terms of probability of listing, transplantation, and posttransplantation survival by Cox proportional hazard modeling. Survival on the list was significantly better for Group A (A: 1.0, B: 0.55; p = 0.02). Fewer patients at high MELD score in Group A and referral biases may explain this difference. In conclusion, after entering evaluation, patients living >3 hours away from a transplant center have comparable outcomes to those living closer.

Impact of the MELD score on waiting time and disease severity in liver transplantation in United States veterans

Organ allocation for liver transplantation (LT) in the United States is based on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The MELD score prioritizes organ distribution to sicker patients. There is limited data on the effect of this policy on transplantation in the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the MELD score on U.S. veteran patients undergoing LT. Comparison of MELD scores and waiting time of LT recipients before and after the introduction of the MELD system was done. A total of 192 LT recipients were analyzed. Blood type, diagnosis, listing MELD score, and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score at transplant did not differ although MELD era recipients were older (mean 54.3 vs. 51.3 yr, P = 0.009). Mean waiting time decreased from 461 days (pre-MELD) to 252 days (MELD era) (P = 0.004). Mean MELD score at LT increased from 23.4 (MELD era) compared to 20.3 (pre-MELD) (P = 0.01). In conclusion, waiting time for LT in U.S. veterans has decreased significantly in the MELD era. The MELD score of patients transplanted in the MELD era is significantly higher and patients are still being listed at a high MELD score. The MELD system has lead to sicker veterans being transplanted with shorter waiting times.