A Multidisciplinary Patient Navigation Program Improves Compliance With Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy in a Public Hospital.

Cancer health disparities affecting low-income and minority patients have been well documented to lead to poor outcomes. This report examines the impact of patient navigation on adherence to prescribed adjuvant breast cancer treatment. A multidisciplinary patient navigation program was initiated at a public safety net hospital to improve compliance with 3 National Quality Forum measures: (1) administration of combination chemotherapy for women with Stage (defined by the American Joint Committee on Cancer [AJCC]) T1c, II, or III hormone receptor-negative breast cancer within 120 days; (2) administration of endocrine therapy for women with AJCC Stage T1c, II, or III hormone receptor-positive breast cancer within 365 days; and (3) radiation therapy for women receiving breast-conserving surgery within one year. Implementation of a multidisciplinary patient navigation program reduced time to treatment and improved compliance with adjuvant therapy for breast cancer in an underserved minority community.

Does Resident Trauma Exposure Affect Advanced Trauma Operative Management Course Experience?

The Advanced Trauma Operative Management (ATOM) course is a simulation course adopted by the American College of Surgeons to teach operative management of primarily penetrating, traumatic injuries. Although it is clear that overall operative trauma exposure is decreasing, the educational benefit of ATOM for residents with different amounts of trauma exposure remains unclear. Our aim was to determine whether residents from trauma centers experienced less benefit from the ATOM course when compared with residents from nontrauma centers. We compared two groups of residents who take ATOM through our institutional course, those from trauma centers and those from nontrauma centers. ATOM pre- and postcourse evaluations of knowledge and self-efficacy were collected from October 2007 to June 2013. Overall residents from three institutions, two trauma centers (100 residents) and one nontrauma center (34 residents), were included in the study. All resident groups had statistically significant improvement in knowledge and self-efficacy after taking the ATOM course (P < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in improvement relative to each of the groups in the ATOM categories of knowledge and self-efficacy. Our data show that residents with different levels of trauma exposure had similar pre- and postcourse scores as well as improvement in the ATOM evaluations. As operative trauma continues to decrease the ATOM course shows benefit for all residents regardless of the depth of their clinical trauma exposure in surgical residency.

Geriatric nursing home falls: A single institution cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury in geriatric patients. Nursing home falls occur at twice the rate of community falls, yet few studies have compared these groups. We hypothesized that nursing home residents admitted for fall would be sicker than their community counterparts on presentation and have worse outcomes. METHODS: Records of 1708 patients, age 65 years and older with a documented nursing home status, admitted to our center between 2008 and 2012 were reviewed. Clinical data including injury severity score (ISS), admission Glasgow coma scale (GCS), in-hospital complications, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality were collected. Continuous data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney tests and categorical data using Fisher exact tests. Variables in the univariate tests were analyzed in a multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Nursing home patients were older than community patients, presented with lower GCS, lower hemoglobin, higher international normalized ratio (INR) and a higher percentage of patients with body mass index (BMI)<18.5. LOS for nursing home patients was longer, and they suffered higher rates of in-hospital complications. ISS, rates of traumatic brain injury, operative intervention and mortality were not significantly different. In a multivariate logistic regression, ISS, GCS and age, but not nursing home status, were significant predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to their community counterparts, nursing home patients presenting after fall are more debilitated and have increased morbidity as evidenced by more in-house complications and increased LOS. However, nursing home residency was not a significant predictor of mortality.

Utility of the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation as a screening tool for mild traumatic brain injury in a civilian trauma population.

BACKGROUND: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) constitutes 75% of more than 1.5 million traumatic brain injuries annually. There exists no consensus on point-of-care screening for mTBI. The Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE) is a quick and easy test used by the US Army to screen for mTBI; however, its utility in civilian trauma is unclear. It has two parts: a history section and the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) score (0-30) previously validated in sports injury. As a performance improvement project, our institution sought to evaluate the MACE as a concussion screening tool that could be used by housestaff in a general civilian trauma population. METHODS: From June 2013 to May 2014, patients 18 years to 65 years old with suspected concussion were given the MACE within 72 hours of admission to our urban Level I trauma center. Patients with a positive head computed tomography were excluded. Demographic data and MACE scores were recorded in prospect. Concussion was defined as loss of consciousness and/or posttraumatic amnesia; concussed patients were compared with those nonconcussed. Sensitivity and specificity for each respective MACE score were used to plot a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. An ROC curve area of 0.8 was set as the benchmark for a good screening test to distinguish concussion from nonconcussion. RESULTS: There were 84 concussions and 30 nonconcussed patients. Both groups were similar; however, the concussion group had a lower mean MACE score than the nonconcussed patients. Data analysis demonstrated the sensitivity and specificity of a range of MACE scores used to generate an ROC curve area of only 0.65. CONCLUSION: The MACE showed a lower mean score for individuals with concussion, defined by loss of consciousness and/or posttraumatic amnesia. However, the ROC curve area of 0.65 highly suggests that MACE alone would be a poor screening test for mTBI in a general civilian trauma population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic study, level II.

Prevalence and clinical significance of incidental and clinically suspected venous thromboembolism in lung cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear what proportion of VTE events in lung cancer patients are incidentally discovered and whether incidental events affect mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of lung cancer patients seen at the University of Rochester between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 with the goal of quantifying and characterizing VTE events. Multiple clinical variables and mortality outcomes were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazards. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 207 subjects with lung cancer. The median age was 66 years and 55% were female (n = 115). Thirty-one patients (14.9%) experienced at least 1 VTE event with 32.2% (10/31) of these incidentally discovered. Incidental events comprised 29.4% (n = 5) of pulmonary embolisms, 11.1% (n = 2) of deep vein thrombosis, and 100% (n = 3) of visceral events. The median survival for patients with incidental VTE was 23.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.8-32.1) compared with 45.8 months (95% CI, 34.1-56.8) in patients without VTE (HR 2.4; 95% CI, 1.2-4.9; P = .01), but in a subgroup analysis of stage IV patients overall survival was not significantly different (HR, 0.94; P = .33). Patients with clinically suspected VTE had the lowest median survival at 13.1 months (95% CI, 6.4-18.9) which was significantly lower than patients without VTE (HR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6-4.5; P = .002), but not significantly different from patients with incidental VTE (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.4-2.0; P = .7). In multivariate analysis, occurrence of VTE (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3-3.8; P = .002) was significantly associated with mortality when adjusting for age, stage, and histology. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of VTE events in lung cancer patients are incidentally discovered and VTE has negative clinical effect in lung cancer patients.

Diabetes mellitus impacts risk of macrovascular invasion in patients undergoing transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is identified as a negative prognostic indicator in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), though the basis for this is unknown. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of 191 HCC patients treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) with orthotopic liver transplantation between 1998-2008. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with and without DM prior to liver transplantation and logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of DM on clinical outcomes including vascular invasion. RESULTS: Eighty-four of 191 (44%) transplanted patients had DM at time of transplantation. An association of DM with invasive disease was found among transplanted HCC patients where histologically confirmed macrovascular invasion was found in 20.2% (17/84) of diabetics compared to 9.3% of non-diabetics (10/107) (p=0.032). This difference also remained significant when adjusting for tumor size, number of nodules, age, obesity and etiologic risk factors in multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR=3.2, p=0.025). CONCLUSIONS: DM is associated with macrovascular invasion among a cohort of transplanted HCC patients.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with the presence of metastatic spread at disease presentation in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is identified as a negative prognostic indicator in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: A retrospective review of HCC patients was conducted to assess the effect of DM on clinical variables. RESULTS: Ninety-seven of 265 (34%) patients had DM at the time of diagnosis. Distant metastasis was found in 33% (30/91) of patients with DM compared with only 9.7% (17/174) of those without DM (OR: 4.5, 95% CI: 2.3-8.8, p < .0001). This difference remained significant when adjusting for other clinical variables (OR: 10.0, 95% CI: 3.9-25.7, p < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: DM is associated with the presence of metastatic disease among a single institution cohort of HCC patients.

Invasive fungal infections following liver transplantation: incidence, risk factors, survival, and impact of fluconazole-resistant Candida parapsilosis (2003-2007).

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are associated with a high mortality rate for liver transplantation (LT) recipients. To study the incidence of and risk factors for IFIs in LT recipients and the associated mortality rates, we retrospectively reviewed the records of first-time deceased donor LT recipients (January 2003 to December 2007). The incidence of IFIs was 12%. Non-albicans Candida species accounted for 55% of IFIs; 50% of these IFIs were Candida parapsilosis. Only 43% of Candida isolates were fluconazole-susceptible (minimum inhibitory concentration ≤ 8 µ/mL). All C. parapsilosis isolates were fluconazole-resistant, and this coincided with a surge of these isolates during a peak period of LT. Factors associated with IFIs included a creatinine level > 2 mg/mL [hazard ratio (OR) = 2.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-5.0, P = 0.01], a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score > 25 (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2-4.9, P = 0.02), pretransplant fungal colonization (OR = 7.0, 95% CI = 3.2-15.3, P < 0.001), and a daily prophylactic fluconazole dosage < 200 mg (OR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.1-7.4, P = 0.03). According to a multivariate analysis, only pretransplant fungal colonization was associated with IFIs (OR = 7.8, 95% CI = 3.9-16.2, P < 0.001). The 1-year patient survival rates with and without IFIs were 41% and 80%, respectively, and the survival rates with C. parapsilosis, other non-albicans Candida, and Candida albicans IFIs were 28%, 50%, and 75%, respectively. In conclusion, IFIs after LT (especially non-albicans Candida species and fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis) were associated with reduced survival. The risk factors highlight the importance of pretransplant risk assessments. The identification of pretransplant fungal colonization may allow for risk modifications before or at the time of LT. Additionally, the number of LT procedures and prophylactic strategies may affect institutional outbreaks of resistant Candida strains.

Comparative analysis of hepatitis C recurrence and fibrosis progression between deceased-donor and living-donor liver transplantation: 8-year longitudinal follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence is universal after liver transplantation (LT). Whether the progression of recurrent HCV is faster after live-donor LT (LDLT) compared with deceased-donor LT (DDLT) is debatable. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively examined 100 consecutive LTs (65 DDLTs and 35 LDLTs) performed between July 2000 and July 2003. A total of 147 liver biopsies were performed between 6 months post-LT and last follow-up. Mean donor age and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score were significantly lower in LDLT (P<0.01). On a mean follow-up of 86.6±6.8 months, overall patient and graft survivals were 61% (51% DDLT vs. 77.1% LDLT; P=0.026) and 56% (46.2% DDLT vs. 71.4% LDLT; P=0.042), respectively. Eight of 39 (20.5%) deaths (7 DDLT and 1 LDLT) and two of nine (22.2%) retransplants (one in each group) were related to recurrent HCV. Mean fibrosis scores for DDLT and LDLT were 1.9±1.7 and 1.6±1.4, respectively (P=0.01). When donor age less than 50 years and MELD score less than 25 were matched among 64 patients (32 DDLT and 32 LDLT), the overall patient and graft survivals were 73.4% (68.8% DDLT vs. 78.1% LDLT; P=0.439) and 71.9% (71.9% DDLT vs. 71.9% LDLT; P=0.978), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survival rates were better, and fibrosis scores were lower for LDLT. The survivals between LDLT and DDLT were comparable for patients with MELD score less than 25 and donor age less than 50 years.

High mortality in orthotopic liver transplant recipients who require hemodialysis.

Acute renal failure is a significant risk factor for death in patients with liver failure. The goal of this study was to analyze the impact of peri-transplant dialysis on the long-term mortality of liver transplant recipients. We performed a single-center, retrospective cohort study of 743 adult liver transplants; patients who received first liver transplants were divided into four groups: those who received more than one dialysis treatment (hemodialysis [HD], continuous veno-venous hemodialysis [CVVH]) pre-orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), post OLT, pre- and post OLT, and those not dialyzed. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean survival time for patients who were not dialyzed or dialyzed only pre-OLT. Mean survival times were markedly reduced in patients dialyzed post OLT or both pre- and post OLT compared with those never dialyzed. Mortality risk in a Cox proportional hazards model correlated with hemodialysis post OLT, intra-operative vasopressin or neosynephrine, donor age >50 yr, Cr >1.5 mg/dL at transplant, and need for subsequent retransplant. Risk of post-OLT dialysis was correlated with pre-OLT dialysis, intra-operative levophed, pre-OLT diabetes, African American race, pre-OLT Cr >1.5, and male gender. We conclude that renal failure requiring hemodialysis post liver transplant, irrespective of pre-transplant dialysis status, is a profound risk factor for death in liver transplant recipients.

Living donor and deceased donor liver transplantation for autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases--an analysis of the UNOS database.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune hepatitis and cholestatic liver diseases have more favorable outcomes after liver transplantation as compared to viral hepatitis and alcoholic liver diseases. However, there are only few reports comparing outcomes of both living donor liver transplants (LDLT) and deceased donor liver transplants (DDLT) for these conditions. AIM: We aim to study the survival outcomes of patients undergoing LT for autoimmune and cholestatic diseases and to identify possible risk factors influencing survival. Survival outcomes for LDLT vs. DDLT are also to be compared for these diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the UNOS database for patients transplanted between February 2002 until October 2006 for AIH, PSC, and PBC was performed. Survival outcomes for LDLT and DDLT patients were analyzed and factors influencing survival were identified. RESULTS: Among all recipients the estimated patient survival at 1, 3, and 5 years for LDLT was 95.5%, 93.6%,and 92.5% and for DDLT was 90.9%, 86.5%, and 84.9%, respectively (p = 0.002). The estimated graft survival at 1, 3, and 5 years for LDLT was 87.9%, 85.4%, and 84.3% and for DDLT 85.9%, 80.3%, and 78.6%, respectively (p = 0.123). On multivariate proportional hazard regression analysis after adjusting for age and MELD score, the effect of donor type was not found to be significant. CONCLUSION: The overall survival outcomes of LDLT were similar to DDLT in our patients with autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases. It appears from our study that after adjusting for age and MELD score donor type does not significantly affect the outcome.

Surgical complications following liver transplantation in patients with portal vein thrombosis--a single-center perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) was once considered a contraindication for liver transplantation (LTx) because of technical difficulties. Though no longer a contraindication, it remains a risk factor. AIM: A study of surgical complications following LTx in patients with and without PVT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 1,171 consecutive patients who underwent LTx between June 1995 and June 2007 was performed, and 78 recipients with PVT (study group) were compared with a stratified random sample of 78 contemporous recipients without PVT (control group) for postoperative complications. Both groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, race, and other confounding variables. RESULTS: The rate of primary nonfunction (PNF) in the study and control groups was 9.0% and 1.3%, (p = 0.063), while that of retransplantation was 17.9% and 7.7% (p = 0.055), respectively. The mean donor risk index (DRI) among the patients with and without PNF in the study group was 2.58 +/- 0.44 and 2.08 +/- 0.42, respectively (p = 0.014). A significantly higher number of packed red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma transfusions were observed in study group compared to controls (p = 0.012, 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSION: A higher rate of PNF was related to the complexity of the surgical procedure and the use of donor livers with a high DRI. Higher rates of PNF eventually led to a higher rate of retransplant. A strategy of offering donor livers with a low DRI might be helpful in decreasing the rate of PNF. Further, a PV interposition graft in difficult cases instead of thrombectomy could lead to a lower rethrombosis rate.

Response to antiviral therapy in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C viral infection: a single center experience.

INTRODUCTION: Recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in hepatic allograft is a major concern after successful liver transplant (LTx). AIM: To examine the response rate to pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin in post-LTx patients with HCV recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2003 and September 2006, 60 patients with biopsy proven HCV recurrence (46 males and 14 females) received PEG-IFN 2a (n = 40) or IFN 2b (n = 20) with ribavirin. All patients were followed until July 2007. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (23.3%) tolerated antiviral therapy for less than six months and 10 (16.7%) discontinued therapy between six and 11 months. PEG-IFN dose was reduced in 21 (35%) patients and ribavirin dose was reduced in 16 (26.7%) patients. Overall, 55% patients achieved end of treatment response (EOT) and 35% sustained virological response (SVR). Mean Hepatitis Activity Index and Fibrosis Score pre-therapy was 5.8 +/- 1.9 and 1.7 +/- 1.3 and post-therapy, it was 4.4 +/- 2.1 and 2.4 +/- 1.6, respectively. Overall, three yr patient and graft survival was 73.9% and 69.2%, respectively. The patients with SVR had significantly lower viral load compared with other groups (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: PEG-IFN and ribavirin therapy achieved 55% EOT and 35% SVR; 60% patients tolerated therapy. Biochemical response was observed in all groups of patients irrespective of virological response.

Liver grafts from donors with central nervous system tumors: a single-center perspective.

Traditionally, patients who die with a malignancy have been excluded from donation. However, it has become a common practice to accept organs from donors that have low-grade tumors or tumors with low metastatic potential. The aim of this study was to analyze our experience with the use of liver grafts from donors with central nervous system (CNS) tumors. A retrospective review of 1173 liver transplants performed between 1992 and 2006 identified 42 donors diagnosed with a CNS tumor. Thirty-two tumors were malignant, and 10 tumors were benign. Forty-two liver transplant recipients received livers from these donors. All patients were followed until May 2007 with a mean follow-up of 29 +/- 17 months. Among 42 donors, there were 28 males and 14 females. The mean donor risk index was 1.78 +/- 0.39. Twenty (47.6%) of the CNS tumors were glioblastoma multiforme (astrocytoma grade IV), 11 (26.2%) were other astrocytomas, and 1 (2.4%) was an anaplastic ependymoma. Twenty (62.5%) neoplasms were grade IV tumors, 8 (25%) were grade II tumors, and 4 (12.5%) were grade III tumors. Over 80% of the patients had at least 1 kind of invasive procedure violating the blood-brain barrier. The rate of recurrence for the entire group was 2.4% (all CNS tumors). There were 7 (7.2%) deaths in all. The most common cause of death was sepsis (n = 3, 7.2%). There was no difference in survival between recipients of grafts from donors with CNS tumors and recipients of grafts from donors without CNS tumors (1 year: 82% versus 83.3%, P = not significant; 3 years: 77.4% versus 72%, P = not significant). In conclusion, in our experience, despite violation of the blood-brain barrier and high-grade CNS tumors, recurrence was uncommon. Grafts from these donors are often an overlooked source of high-quality organs from younger donors and can be appropriately used, particularly in patients who, despite low Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores, carry a high risk of mortality.

Incidence of abdominal wall numbness post-liver transplantation and its complications.

Liver transplantation (LTx) is a life-saving procedure for end-stage liver disease. However, LTx remains a major surgical procedure with a significant amount of morbidity and mortality. Several different types of post-LTx complications have been studied and reported; however, the numbness of the abdominal skin between the subcostal incision and the umbilicus and its associated complications have not been studied in a large patient population. The aim of this study was to report the incidence of numbness in the abdominal skin post-LTx and its implications in routine life. One hundred and one post-LTx patients were questioned in the clinic about numbness. There were 52 male patients and 49 female patients with a mean age of 51.9 +/- 11.3 years at the time of LTx, and the mean time from transplant was 35.0 +/- 29.5 months (range, 3-113 months). The implications were recorded. All 101 patients (100%) had an area of numbness between the subcostal incision and the umbilicus. Four of these patients had an area of superficial-to-deep burns from hot food (accidentally dropped on the abdomen), heating pads, or a hot cup of tea. One patient had ecchymosis from blunt trauma during gardening. Out of 36 diabetic patients, more than 24 patients were insulin-dependent and used the area for subcutaneous insulin injections. In addition, some of the 43 hepatitis C virus-positive patients used the area for subcutaneous interferon therapy. In conclusion, 100% of the patients had persistent numbness up to 9 years following LTx. Five percent of the patients developed thermal injuries or blunt trauma complications that could have been prevented with better education and awareness. More then 24% of the patients used the area for subcutaneous injections of insulin and/or interferon.

Recurrent nonhepatic and de novo malignancies after liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: After Liver transplantation (LTx), recurrence of hepatic cancer, de novo cancers, and donor-transmitted cancers have been described. However, the data for patients with a prior history of nonhepatic malignancy and its recurrence post-LTx are limited. AIM: Aim of this study was to examine the patient with nonhepatic pre-LTx malignancies, and their recurrence post-LTx along with de novo cancers and recurrence of hepatic malignancy in the population. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Between March 1996 and July 2006, 1127 patients underwent LTx at our institution. Thirty patients (2.7%) (15 men and 15 women, mean age 56.9+/-12.8 years) had documented nonhepatic malignancies. There were seven colorectal, three prostatic, three cervical, three bladder, six breast, and other nine miscellaneous cancers (one patient had two cancers). Four patients had hepatocellular carcinoma at the time of LTx. All patients were followed up until 2008 with a mean follow-up period of 34.1+/-35.3 months. RESULTS: One patient with oropharyngeal cancer (3.3%), who was recurrence-free pre-LTx for 77.3 months, developed recurrence 36 months post-LTx and subsequently died 11 months postrecurrence. Two patients developed de novo cancer. One developed renal cell carcinoma 46.6 months post-LTx and other developed de novo intra-abdominal metastatic adenocarcinoma of unknown origin. Three of four patients developed recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The rate of recurrence of nonhepatic malignancy was 3% and de novo cancer was 6% in the present series. There is a need to develop a guideline for recurrence-free survival period for nonhepatic malignancies before LTx, based on the type and stage of cancer.

Comparative analysis of outcomes in living and deceased donor liver transplants for primary sclerosing cholangitis.

INTRODUCTION: Primary sclerosing cholangitits (PSC) is a progressive fibrosing cholangiopathy eventually leading to end-stage liver disease (ESLD). While literature for deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for PSC abounds, only a few reports describe live donor liver transplant (LDLT) in the setting of PSC. We present a single-center experience on survival outcomes and disease recurrence for LDLT and DDLT for ESLD secondary to PSC. AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze survival outcomes and disease recurrence for LDLT and DDLT for ESLD secondary to PSC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 58 primary liver transplants for PSC-associated ESLD, performed between May 1995 and January 2007, was done. Patients were divided into two groups based on donor status. Group 1 (n = 14) patients received grafts from living donors, while group 2 (n = 44) patients received grafts from deceased donors. An analysis of survival outcomes and disease recurrence was performed. Recurrence was confirmed based on radiological and histological criteria. RESULTS: Recurrence of PSC was observed in four patients in LDLT group and seven in DDLT group. Retransplantation was required in one patient in LDLT group and nine patients in DDLT group. One patient (7%) among LDLT and six patients (14%) among DDLT died. The difference in patient and graft survival was not statistically significant between the two groups (patient survival, p = 0.60; graft survival, p = 0.24). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates equivalent survival outcomes between LDLT and DDLT for PSC; however, the rate of recurrence may be higher in patients undergoing LDLT.

Stratifying risk of biliary complications in adult living donor liver transplantation by magnetic resonance cholangiography.

BACKGROUND: Accurate preoperative assessment of biliary anatomy in live donor hepatectomy may be helpful to assess the suitability of a graft and to stratify risk of biliary complications. METHODS: A retrospective review of existing data among donor and recipients of 36 living donor transplants was performed to assess role of preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) for defining biliary anatomy and to stratify risk of biliary complications. RESULTS: Thirty-six living liver donors underwent MRC, and subsequently right lobectomy. Intraoperative cholangiography and biliary exploration revealed that 24 donors (66.6%) had conventional and 12 (33.3%) had aberrant biliary anatomy. Intraoperative cholangiography demonstrated a strong correlation with MRC (P=0.001) and intraoperative findings (P=0.001). MRC had specificity and positive predictive value of 100%. The risk of developing biliary complication was 5.9 times higher if the biliary anatomy was of any type other than A (P=0.03, CI 1.06-32.9) after controlling for donor age, recipient age, and type of anastomosis. CONCLUSION: MRC reliably identified variant biliary anatomy. The preoperative MRC demonstrated congruence with the intraoperative cholangiogram and with the intraoperative findings. MRC is helpful in predicting risk of biliary complications in recipients, and identifies donors who would otherwise be excluded intraoperatively by cholangiography, thus limiting the risk of an unnecessary operation.

Potential immunological advantage of intravenous mycophenolate mofetil with tacrolimus and steroids in primary deceased donor liver transplantation and live donor liver transplantation without antibody induction.

With the current immunosuppressive regimens, graft loss secondary to immunological reasons after successful liver transplantation is a rarity; acute rejections, however, do occur, with the majority of them being steroid-responsive. The aim of the present study is to examine the rate of acute rejection with tacrolimus, intravenous (IV) mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and steroids in primary deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) and live donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients. During the year 2005, 130 patients (mean age: 54.9 +/- 10.8, males: 84, females: 46, 112 DDLT and 18 LDLT) received primary liver transplantation. They were followed up for the incidence of acute rejection in the first 12 months. Liver biopsies were performed as clinically indicated; protocol liver biopsies were never performed. A total of 127 liver biopsies were performed. Thirty-two had a rejection activity index (RAI) score of > or =3, of which 24 biopsies in 20 patients were not treated with a steroid bolus. Eight (6.1%) patients (mean RAI score: 5.1 +/- 1.4) received 750 to 1500 mg of methylprednisolone over 3 days. Out of these, 2 were noncompliant, 4 were off MMF, and 1 was on cyclosporine. All patients responded to steroid therapy. None of the patients required any antibody preparation. In conclusion, IV MMF with tacrolimus and steroids is useful and required antirejection therapy in 6.1% of liver transplant recipients.