Background: Liver transplantation (LT) has been the treatment of choice to halt the progression of familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). Few studies have identified prognostic factors for post-LT survival in FAP. Our aim was to assess survival rate and to identify independent factors for survival after LT.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study of FAP patients transplanted for the first time analyzed 116 transplantations from 2006 to 2014. The median follow-up period was 45.5 months.
Results: The overall survival rates at 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years were 89%, 82% and 79%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, only number of red blood cell (RBC) units transfused during surgery, operation time, and body mass index were independent prognostic factors for patient survival. Only 30% of patients were transfused during surgery, and, in these, each RBC unit transfused increased mortality by 53%. The operation time increased mortality by 20% for every 15 minutes of surgery.
Conclusions: This study suggests that operation time and RBC transfused are predominant factors affecting post-LT survival in our FAP patients.
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