Biliary atresia: perspective on transplantation

In North America, long-term, jaundice-free survival following Kasai's operation for biliary atresia is 25%–35%; thus, the majority of patients require liver transplantation for salvage. The timing of organ replacement is crucial. Patients without bile drainage because of either surgical election or operative failure should be referred immediately. Patients with ongoing but inadequate biliary drainage should be referred at a time that coincides with a plateau of the growth curve or if cholangitis is recalcitrant. Portal hypertension itself is not an indication for transplantation irrespective of its manifestations. Ascites, however, when primarily due to hypoalbuminemia, is a solid indication for transplantation. Other tests of liver function are generally unreliable. Factors found to be unimportant or of questionable adverse impact on transplant outcome include previous operation, coexisting infection limited to the liver, nonpatent portal vein, and/or abnormal liver function tests. The only factor that was found to significantly influence outcome was patient size and age. Thus, bile drainage after Kasai portoenterostomy, by permitting growth, improves the chances for a favorable outcome. Transplant 1-year survival is from 60% to 88%. Liver replacement is not without complications, namely technical errors, infection, and rejection. Nonetheless, in a majority of cases hepatic transplantation provides the only opportunity for high-quality long-term survival.Offprint requests to: R. J. Hall