Mild Preoperative Systolic Dysfunction Associated With the Use of Intraoperative Vasopressors but Not Postoperative Survival in Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND

Mild left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is common in patients waiting for liver transplantation (LT), but its impact on intraoperative management and survival is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated if mild pretransplant LVSD was associated with the use of intraoperative vasopressors and 1-year survival after LT.

METHODS

After institutional review board approval, preoperative echocardiographic and perioperative data of adult patients undergoing LT between January 2006 and October 2013 were reviewed. Patients with or without mild LVSD were compared using the t test or Pearson's χ2 test. Independent risk factors were identified using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Of 1055 adult patients, 11 (1.0%) had mild LVSD. Preoperative variables were similar between the 2 groups except for age and preoperative vasopressor use. Intraoperatively, a greater portion of patients with LVSD required vasopressors following anesthesia induction (71.4% vs 20.5%), immediately after reperfusion (100% vs 62.1%), and at the end of the transplant (100% vs 38.5%) compared with patients without LVSD (all P < .05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that LVSD was an independent risk factor (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI 1.0-21.3; P = .043) for increased requirement of intraoperative vasopressor along with other risk factors, including encephalopathy, preoperative pressors, male sex, high model for end-stage liver disease score, and long cold ischemia time. Patients with mild LVSD had similar 1-year survival rates compared with non-LVSD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with mild preoperative LVSD, with proper intraoperative management, could undergo LT surgery and had comparable 1-year survival. Patients with mild preoperative LVSD alone should not be excluded from LT.