Latin American association for the study of the liver (ALEH) guidance on preoperative care in liver transplantation: referral criteria, patient assessment, and waiting list management.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the standard of care therapy for patients with decompensated cirrhosis, early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma, acute liver failure, and other expanding indications. Latin America is a highly heterogeneous region characterized by an uneven distribution of socio-economic conditions and irregular access to health resources, and consequently LT activity varies across the region. This current guidance on preoperative care in LT represents a collaborative effort to assess and standardize preoperative evaluation of liver transplant candidates in Latin America. It is the first position paper of the special interest group on LT of the Latin American Association for the Study of the Liver (ALEH), which provides evidence-based comprehensive recommendations regarding whom to refer, how to assess LT candidates and how to manage patients on the waiting list, taking into consideration their applicability in Latin America.