Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of split liver transplantation (SLT) and living donor liver transplantation(LDLT) in the treatment of children with biliary atresia. Methods: The clinical data of 64 children with biliary atresia who underwent SLT and 44 children who underwent LDLT from June 2017 to May 2022 at Liver Surgery & Liver Transplantation Center,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively analyzed. Among the children who received SLT, there were 40 males and 24 females. The median age at transplantation was 8 months (range:4 to 168 months). Among the patients who received LDLT, there were 24 males and 20 females. The age at transplantation ranged from 4 to 24 months,with a median age of 7 months. Sixty-four children with biliary atresia were divided into two groups according to the SLT operation time: 32 cases in the early SLT group(June 2017 to January 2019) and 32 cases in the technically mature SLT group (February 2019 to May 2022). Rank sum test or t test was used to compare the recovery of liver function between the LDLT group and the SLT group,and between the early SLT group and the technically mature SLT group. The incidence of postoperative complications was compared by χ² test or Fisher exact probability method. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used for survival analysis. Results: The cold ischemia time(M (IQR)) (218 (65) minutes), intraoperative blood loss(175 (100) ml) and graft-to-recipient body weight ratio (3.0±0.7) in the LDLT group were lower than those in the SLT group(500 (130) minutes, 200 (250) ml, 3.4±0.8) (Z=-8.064,Z=-2.969, t=-2.048, all P<0.05). The cold ischemia time(457(158)minutes) and total hospital stay ((37.4±22.4)days) in the technically mature SLT group were lower than those in the early SLT group(510(60)minutes, (53.0±39.0)days).The differences were statistically significant (Z=-2.132, t=1.934, both P<0.05).The liver function indexes of LDLT group and SLT group showed unimodal changes within 1 week after operation. The peak values of ALT, AST, prothrombin time, activeated partial thromboplasting time, international normalized ratio, fibrinogen and creatinine all appeared at 1 day after operation, and the peak value of prothrombin activity appeared at 3 days after operation. All indicators returned to normal at 7 days after operation. The 1-,2-,and 3-year overall survival rates were 95.5% in LDLT group and 93.5% in the technically mature SLT group, and the difference was not statistically significant. The 1-,2-,and 3-year overall survival rates were 90.2% in the early SLT group and 93.5% in the technically mature SLT group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05). The main complications of the early SLT group were surgery-related complications(28.1%,9/32), and the main complications of the technically mature SLT group were non-surgery-related complications(21.9%,7/32). There were 5 deaths in the SLT group,including 4 in the early SLT group and 1 in the technically mature SLT group. Conclusion: The survival rate of SLT in the treatment of biliary atresia is comparable to that of LDLT.
Adolescent ; Biliary Atresia/surgery* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Creatinine ; Female ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Transplantation/methods* ; Living Donors ; Male ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Prothrombin ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the growth of children in weight and height before and after liver transplantation and the relation between malnutrition and postoperative time.

METHODGrowth was assessed for children who received liver transplantation from July 2007 to December 2012 after operation during follow-up. Weight and height were measured for 51 children in May 30, 2013. Weight and height percentiles of each child were calculated in accordance with data surveying on physical development of children in nine provinces/municipalities. Underweight was defined as weight less than the third percentile of same age and sex groups. Growth retardation was defined as height less than the third percentile of same age and sex groups. Children were set into 2 groups (before liver transplantation group, after liver transplantation group). The incidence of underweight and growth retardation were analyzed by chi-square test. Children were divided into 4 groups according to the length of time from operation time to May 30, 2013: 1 year after liver transplantation (1-365 days); 2 years after liver transplantation (366-730 days); 3 years after liver transplantation (731-1 095 days) ; 4 years or more after liver transplantation (1 096-2 133 days) . The underweight and growth retardation were analyzed by hierarchical log linear model.

RESULTThe mean age of 51 children was 44.78 months (range 13 months to 13 years old), 26 of them were male and 25 female. The number of children with underweight and growth retardation were 20 (39%) and 35 (69%) respectively before transplantation and were 5 (10%) and 14 (27%) respectively after transplantation. There was a significant difference between underweight incidence before and after operation (χ(2) = 10.385, P = 0.001). There was significant difference between growth retardation incidence before and after operation (χ(2) = 15.710, P = 0.000). The subjects included 10 patients at 1 year after operation (underweight n = 3, growth retardation n = 3), 19 patients at 2 years (underweight n = 1, growth retardation n = 9), 10 patients at 3 years (underweight n = 1, growth retardation n = 2), 12 patients at 4 years and above (underweight n = 0, growth retardation n = 0). Parameter analysis of hierarchical log linear estimates: underweight at 1 year = 0.661, underweight at 2 years = -0.214, underweight at 3 years = 0.119, underweight at 4 years and above = -0.566. Growth retardation at 1 year = 0.282, at 2 years = 0.613, at 3 years = 0.051, at 4 years and above = -0.946.

CONCLUSIONCompared with after liver transplantation, obvious malnutrition existed in patients before transplantation. Patients have the ability to catch-up growth after liver transplantation. Reduced effect of underweight occurred in second year after liver transplantation. Reduced effect of growth retardation occurred in third year after liver transplantation.

Adolescent ; Biliary Atresia ; therapy ; Body Height ; Body Weight ; Child ; Child Development ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Growth Disorders ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver Cirrhosis ; therapy ; Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Malnutrition ; epidemiology ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Thinness ; epidemiology ; Time Factors

Pediatric liver transplantation is the standard of care for treatment of liver failure in children. The aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of pediatric liver transplantation in centers located in Korea and determine factors that influence outcomes. This retrospective study was performed using data from between 1988 and 2010 and included all recipients 18 yr old and younger who underwent pediatric liver transplantation in Korea during that period. Our data sources were hospital medical records and the outcome measure was overall patient survival. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were undertaken using the Cox proportional hazards model. Five hundred and thirty-four pediatric liver transplantations were performed in 502 children. Median age and average pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score were 20 months and 18 point, respectively. Biliary atresia (57.7%, 308/534) was the most common cause of liver disease. Eighty-two (15.3%) were deceased donor liver transplantations and 454 (84.7%) were living donor liver transplantations. Retransplantation was performed in 32 cases (6%). Overall, 1-, 5-, and 10-yr patient survival rates were 87.8%, 82.2%, and 78.1%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, independent significant predictors of poor patient survival were chronic rejection and retransplantation. This study presents the epidemiologic data for nearly all pediatric liver transplantation in Korea and shows that the independent prognostic factors in patient survival are chronic rejection and retransplantation.
Adolescent ; Biliary Atresia/epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; End Stage Liver Disease/epidemiology/mortality/*therapy ; Female ; Graft Survival ; Humans ; Infant ; *Liver Transplantation ; Male ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Severity of Illness Index ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome