Trasplante hepático en Chile: Aspectos generales, indicaciones y contraindicaciones (Documento de consenso)

Liver transplantation is an excellent therapeutic option forterminal liver disease. During the last decades the results of liver transplantation have improvedsignificantly with a patient survival rate of nearly 90% at one year and 80% at 5 years offollow-up. The main indications for liver transplantation include: end-stage liver diseaseassociated to cirrhosis, acute liver failure, and hepatic tumors (mainly hepatocarcinoma). Theabsolute contraindications for a transplant are less frequent than in the past, and include:severe co-morbidity (cardiac or pulmonary), sepsis, advanced HIV disease and extra-hepaticmalignancy. This document presents a Consensus of the main groups performing livertransplantation in Chile, about its indications and contraindications. It also reviews generalaspects of liver transplantation, including the selection and referral of liver transplantcandidates, allocation of organs and the evaluation of severity of liver disease (Rev Med Chile2008; 136: 793-804).(