• Chun-Bao Guo, Cong-Lun Pu, Ying-Cun Li, Ming-Man Zhang, Yuhua Deng, Lv-Nan Yan, Quan Kang, and Xian-Qing Jin.
• Hepato Gastroenterol. 2014 Mar 1; 61 (130): 391-7.

Background/AimsIn the last 10 years, the early patient outcome of liver transplantation in children have significantly improved. Now the overall outcomes of pediatric LT are promising.MethodologyIn this study, we review the outcome of all pediatric liver transplants performed at our center and analyze our experiences with pediatric liver transplant. Of the 34 liver transplant recipients, 26 were highly urgent (19.7%).ResultsActuarial patient survival rates at 6, 12, and 36 months was 82.9%, 79.8% and 72.2%, respectively. Indications for liver transplant were biliary atresia (n = 22), Wilson's disease (n = 4), glycogen storage disease (n = 3), portal vein cavernous transformation (PVCT) (n = 3), fulminant liver failure (n = 1), and cryptogenic cirrhosis (n = 1). The main complications were surgical complications (including biliary complications, portal vein or arterial complications, intestinal perforation, postoperative bleeding, of which 20% required reoperation) and infections. Cyclosporine was the primary immunosuppressive agent used in 70.6% of patients, with a 26.5% incidence of acute allograft rejection within the first six months. One children underwent re-transplant as a result of hepatic artery thrombosis. Nine children died during followup. They were related to portal vein thrombosis (one), chronic rejection (one), sepsis (one), post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (one) and so on.ConclusionsThe overall outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation at our center are promising. Advances in post-transplant care and monitoring of the recipients, technical refinements enable these results.

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