Liver Transplant Outcomes with Persistent Post Transplant Alcohol Consumption
1Transplant Surgery, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL, 2Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Lansing, MI, 3University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 4University of Tampa, Tampa, FL, 5Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: 878
Keywords: Liver transplantation, Psychosocial
Topic: Clinical Science » Liver » 55 - Liver: Recipient Selection
Session Information
Session Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Presentation Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Hynes Halls C & D
*Purpose: Although transplant centers educate patients on outcome risks from alcohol relapse, half of the alcoholic liver disease patients are thought to consume alcohol after transplant. Despite the organ shortage, centers continue to provide transplants for patients with a deemed high risk of alcohol relapse. There is disagreement in the research regarding a definitive relationship between post-transplant alcohol consumption and outcomes. The objective of this study was to understand the difference in readmission and survival rates between liver transplant patients who consumed alcohol (CONSUMED) vs. patients who abstained (ABSTAINED) from alcohol post-transplant.
*Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients (age 18 years and older) who received a deceased donor liver transplant from 2016 to 2020. We included patients with documentation of alcohol utilization including phosphatidyl ethanol (Peth) test, urine metabolite test, ethanol level test, and self-report. Patients without documentation were excluded from the analysis.
*Results: During the study period, 542 patients received a liver transplant and 134 patients had documentation of post-transplant alcohol utilization (50 patients CONSUMED vs. 84 patients ABSTAINED). There was no difference between groups based on recipient age in years (CONSUMED 53 vs. ABSTAINED 52, p=0.759) or male gender (CONSUMED 62% vs. ABSTAINED 69%, p=0.403). There was no difference in liver-related readmissions between the groups (CONSUMED 86% vs. ABSTAINED 88%, p=0.791). There was no difference based on graft survival (p=0.088) or patient survival (p=0.801) between patients that CONSUMED or ABSTAINED from alcohol post-liver transplant.
*Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate no difference in outcomes between liver transplant patients who consumed alcohol vs. abstained from alcohol post-liver transplant. Our study is limited by the retrospective single-center design, but the findings suggest the need for further investigation of the confounding factors that play a role in patient outcomes post-transplant with alcoholic liver disease.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Evans B, Patino D, Sauls R, Shargo R, Mohammed S, Gosselin M, Robichaux K, Kumar A, Buggs J. Liver Transplant Outcomes with Persistent Post Transplant Alcohol Consumption [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/liver-transplant-outcomes-with-persistent-post-transplant-alcohol-consumption/. Accessed May 9, 2025.« Back to 2022 American Transplant Congress