Summary
Liver transplantation has emerged as a highly efficient treatment for a variety of
acute and chronic liver diseases. However, organ shortage is becoming an increasing
problem globally, limiting the applicability of liver transplantation. In addition,
potential recipients are becoming sicker, thereby increasing the risk of losing the
graft during transplantation or in the initial postoperative period after liver transplantation
(three months). This trend is challenging the model for end-stage liver disease allocation
system, where the sickest candidates are prioritised and no delisting criteria are
given. The weighting of the deontological demand for “equity”, trying to save every
patient, regardless of the overall utility; and “efficiency”, rooted in utilitarianism,
trying to save as many patients as possible and increase the overall quality of life
of patients facing the same problem, has to be reconsidered. In this article we are
aiming to overcome the widespread concept of futility in liver transplantation, providing
a definition of potentially inappropriate liver transplantation and giving guidance
on situations where it is best not to proceed with liver transplantation, to decrease
the mortality rate in the first three months after transplantation. We propose “absolute”
and “relative” conditions, where early post-transplant mortality is highly probable,
which are not usually captured in risk scores predicting post-transplant survival.
Withholding liver transplantation for listed patients in cases where liver transplant
is not deemed clearly futile, but is potentially inappropriate, is a far-reaching
decision. Until now, this decision had to be discussed extensively on an individual
basis, applying explicit communication and conflict resolution processes, since the
model for end-stage liver disease score and most international allocation systems
do not include explicit delisting criteria to support a fair delisting process. More
work is needed to better identify cases where transplantation is potentially inappropriate
and to integrate and discuss these delisting criteria in allocation systems, following
a societal debate on what we owe to all liver transplant candidates.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 10, 2017
Accepted:
November 6,
2017
Received in revised form:
October 11,
2017
Received:
August 1,
2017
Identification
Copyright
© 2017 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
