Financial burden following adult liver transplantation is common and associated with adverse recipient outcomes.

The financial impact of liver transplantation has been underexplored. We aimed to identify associations between high financial burden (≥10% annual income spent on out-of-pocket medical costs) and work productivity, financial distress (coping behaviors in response to the financial burden), and financial toxicity (health-related quality of life, HRQOL) among adult recipients of liver transplant. Between June 2021 and May 2022, we surveyed 207 adult recipients of liver transplant across 5 US transplant centers. Financial burden and distress were measured by 25 items adapted from national surveys of cancer survivors. Participants also completed the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment and EQ-5D-5L HRQOL questionnaires. In total, 23% of recipients reported high financial burden which was significantly associated with higher daily activity impairment (32.9% vs. 23.3%, p =0.048). In adjusted analyses, the high financial burden was significantly and independently associated with delayed or foregone medical care (adjusted odds ratio, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.85-8.42) and being unable to afford basic necessities (adjusted odds ratio, 5.12; 95% CI: 1.61-16.37). Recipients experiencing high financial burden had significantly lower self-reported HRQOL as measured by the EQ-5D-5L compared to recipients with low financial burden (67.8 vs. 76.1, p =0.008) and an age-matched and sex-matched US general population (67.8 vs. 79.1, p <0.001). In this multicenter cohort study, nearly 1 in 4 adult recipients of liver transplant experienced a high financial burden, which was significantly associated with delayed or foregone medical care and lower self-reported HRQOL. These findings underscore the need to evaluate and address the financial burden in this population before and after transplantation.

Liver transplantation for hepatitis C patients in the era of direct-acting antiviral treatment: A retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA's) have revolutionized hepatitis-C virus (HCV) treatment, however controversy remains regarding timing of treatment in relation to liver-transplant (LT). METHODS: Single-center retrospective study assessing outcomes of listed HCV positive patients in the DAA-era (2014-2017). Patients treated with DAA's before LT (DAA pre-LT) were compared to those who were not treated before LT (No DAA pre-LT) RESULTS: 156 HCV positive patients were listed during study-period; 104 (67%) underwent LT while 52 (33%) were de-listed. Of transplanted patients, 48 (46%) received DAA pre-LT while 56 (54%) were treated post-LT. Both groups were comparable in age, gender, MELD, patient and graft survival and cure-rates (98% in DAA pre-LTvs.95% in No DAA pre-LT; p > 0.05). DAA pre-LT group required higher number of treatments-per-patient to clear virus (1.46vs.1.06; p = 0.0006), spent more time on waitlist (331d.vs150d; p = 0.0040) and were less likely to receive livers from HCV positive donors (6%vs.25%; p = 0.0148). Twenty-nine (56%) of the 52 delisted received DAA. They had lower listing-MELD (12vs.18; p = 0.0033), and were more likely to be delisted for "condition improved" (34%vs.4%; p = 0.0143) compared to the 23 (44%) delisted patients who did not receive DAA's. CONCLUSIONS: DAA's were equally effective in clearing HCV in listed patients irrespective of timing. DAA pre-LT can disadvantage some patients through increase number of treatments needed and longer waitlist times, but treatment in some listed patients with low-MELD can improve condition and alleviate need for LT.