Clinical impact of mild to moderate pulmonary hypertension in living-donor liver transplantation

Abstract

Severe pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is a contraindication to liver transplantation (LT); however, the prognostic implication of mild to moderate PHT in living-donor LT (LDLT) is unknown. The study cohort retrospectively included 1307 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent LDLT. PHT was defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of >= 25 mmHg, measured intraoperatively just before surgery. The primary endpoint was graft failure within 1 year after LDLT, including retransplantation or death from any cause. The secondary endpoints were in-hospital adverse events. In the overall cohort, the median Model for End-stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na) score was 19, and 100 patients (7.7%) showed PHT. During 1-year follow-up, graft failure occurred in 94 patients (7.2%). Patients with PHT had lower 1-year graft survival (86% vs. 93.4%, P = 0.005) and survival rates (87% vs. 93.6%, P = 0.011). Mean PAP was associated with a high risk of in-hospital adverse events and 1-year graft failure. Adding the mean PAP to the clinical risk model improved the risk prediction. In conclusion, mild to moderate PHT was associated with higher risks of 1-year graft failure and in-hospital events, including mortality after LDLT in patients with liver cirrhosis. Intraoperative mean PAP can help predict the early clinical outcomes after LDLT.