Risk factors for alcohol recidivism after liver transplantation

Abstract

Go to Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has been increasing recently and the second most common indication for liver transplantation (LT) in Korea. Even after LT, alcohol recidivism can be a problem interfering with the patients’ long-term survival and graft function. This study was conducted to analyze the clinical course and preand post-transplantation risk factors for alcohol recidivism in transplant recipients with ALD. Methods: Of 592 liver transplant recipients, sixty-two patients underwent LT for ALD between Jan 2005 and Dec 2014. We retrospectively collected and analyzed the data from our electrical medical records. Results: Out of the 62 ALD recipients, 57 patients were male. Their mean age was 52.4±8.3 years. The mean abstinence period of them before transplantation was 17.7±30.0 months. Sixteen recipients (25.8%) showed alcohol recidivism at 15.9±13.7 months after LT. Patients who showed alcohol recidivism had a significantly longer duration of drink before transplantation than non-recidivism patients (35.4±6.3 vs 30.9±9.4 years, respectively, p=0.038). In terms of alcohol consumption, the recidivism group showed more alcohol drinking than the non-recidivism group (123.0±67.2 vs 81.6±61.0 units, respectively, p=0.026). The abstinence period before LT was not significantly different. In the multivariate analysis, the amount of alcohol consumption before transplantation was considered to play a risk factor for alcohol recidivism after transplantation (p=0.05). Conclusion: Information about duration and consumption of alcohol drink before LT helps to predict alcohol recidivism after LT in patients with ALD, allowing early awareness and specific postoperative care.