Medical course and complications after liver transplantation

Abstract

Liver transplantation is a definitive treatment for several acute and chronic hepatitides, hepatic malignancies, and metabolic disorders affecting the liver. The technique has blossomed from a rare happenstance in the past to a routine surgery performed regularly in major medical centers all across the developed and developing world. Although liver transplant helps to prolong patient survival, the posttransplant course is fraught with various complications that may occur as a result of immediate or late effects of surgery or chronic cumulative effects of immunosuppressive regimen. Despite the ever-increasing number of liver transplants performed each year, the demand far exceeds the supply of available livers, and wait list morbidity and mortality continue to remain substantial. This chapter describes medical course after liver transplantation, including the major complications and their management.