American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons
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Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a frequent pulmonary complication of patients with end-stage liver diseases. HPS is diagnosed by hypoxemia and pulmonary vascular dilatation and is an independent risk factor of mortality. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only factor that modifies the natural course of HPS. ⋯ Among them 3 (33%) died while the mortality rate was 9.2% in the group without HPS (7 over 76 patients). In the HPS patients who survived, the syndrome completely recovered within 6 months. In conclusion, our study shows a high postoperative mortality rate following OLT even though the preoperative PaO(2) was >50 mmHg in all HPS patients transplanted.