A Single-Center Report on Liver Transplantation: First Experiences from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND In the Middle East, data on liver transplantation (LT) are limited, and reports on LT from this region are of specific value. The purpose of this study is to report our 8-year experiences and challenges with LTs in our center to improve the outcomes. METHODS 116 patients received whole organ graft from deceased donors, and orthotopic liver transplantation was performed at Taleghani hospital, between January 2009 and July 2017. The patients were prioritized according to Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score and Child-Pugh classification. RESULTS The most common postoperative complication was sepsis (16%), although the most common surgical post LT complication was postoperative bleeding. The most common cause of death was primary graft dysfunction (21.9%). Following LT, 50% of the deaths (n = 16) occurred during the first 10 days. Cumulative survival rates were 78.4%, 77.6%, and 66.7% at 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSION This report provides invaluable experience from a region where data on LT is largely missing due to the absence of official registration programs. The data could be used to improve the LT program in the region.