1. Alcohol use disorder and liver transplant: new perspectives and critical issues
- Author
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Fabio Caputo, Silvia Aspite, Francesco Vizzutti, Lucia Golfieri, Valentino Patussi, Stefano Gitto, Silvana Grandi, Fabio Marra, Gitto S., Aspite S., Golfieri L., Caputo F., Vizzutti F., Grandi S., Patussi V., and Marra F.
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Alcoholic liver disease ,medicine.medical_treatment ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Context (language use) ,Review ,Alcohol use disorder ,Disease ,Liver transplantation ,alcohol and transplant ,NO ,liver diseases, alcoholic ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Liver diseases, alcoholic ,Alcoholism ,Alcohol and transplant ,Recurrence ,medicine ,Humans ,Intensive care medicine ,Liver diseases ,media_common ,alcoholism ,Alcohol Abstinence ,business.industry ,Patient Selection ,Abstinence ,Alcoholic ,medicine.disease ,Liver Transplantation ,surgical procedures, operative ,Medicine ,030211 gastroenterology & hepatology ,Liver function ,Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ,business - Abstract
Alcoholic liver disease is a consolidated indication for liver transplantation, but many unsolved issues can be highlighted. Patients with alcohol use disorder develop peculiar comorbidities that can become contraindications for trans plantation. Moreover, a number of social and psychological patterns should be evaluated to select candidates with a low risk of alcohol relapse and adequate post-transplant adherence. In this context, the 6-month rule is too rigid to be widely applied. A short period of abstinence (1 to 3 months) is useful to estimate recovery of liver function and, possibly to avoid transplant. Cardiovascular dis orders and extra-hepatic malignancies represent the main clinical issues after transplant. Patients transplanted due to alcoholic disease are a major risk for oth er liver diseases. Severe corticosteroid-resistant alcoholic acute hepatitis is a de bated indication for transplant. However, available data indicate that well-selected patients have excellent post-transplant outcomes. Behavioral therapy, continued psychological support and a multidisciplinary team are essential to achieve and maintain complete alcohol abstinence during the transplant process. Alcoholic liver disease is an excellent indication for a liver transplant but patients with alco hol use disorder deserve a personalized approach and dedicated resources.
- Published
- 2020