Bruno Roche, Didier Samuel – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1Long‐term prophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) significantly reduces the risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence and increases survival. Patients with HBV cirrhosis and / or positive HBV DNA at the time of transplantation have a high risk for recurrence despite HBIG prophylaxis.2Pre–orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) antiviral treatment using lamivudine (LAM) can suppress HBV replication before transplantation and may induce clinical improvement in a subset of patients.

Richard B. Freeman – 21 September 2004

Richard B. Freeman – 21 September 2004

Margarita Sala, Maria Varela, Jordi Bruix – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1Liver transplantation is the main option for patients with early HCC who are not optimal candidates for surgical resection.2Shortage of donors is its main limitation, as waiting for a liver allows the tumor to progress and induce exclusion from the waiting list and death.3The absence of randomized controlled trials hinders the establishment of the most effective therapy to prevent tumor progression while waiting.4Live donation may be a cost‐effective approach if optimal results are expected and the mortality risk fo

Joseph K. Lim, Emmet B. Keeffe – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1The 1‐year and 5‐year actuarial survival rates following liver transplantation for patients with alcoholic liver disease are 82% and 68%, respectively, in the United States and 85% and 70%, respectively, in Europe.

Simon Horslen – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1Patients listed for combined liver and intestine transplantation have the highest waitlist mortality of any transplant candidates.2Liver‐intestine candidates have higher mortality rates than other patients listed for liver transplantation at all model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) and pediatric end‐stage liver disease (PELD) scores, sepsis rather than liver failure being the major cause of death in this group.3Increasing PELD scores appear to correlate with increasing waitlist mortality in patients awaiting combined liver and intestinal t

Michael R.

Robert M.

John Fung, Bijan Eghtesad, Kusum Patel‐Tom, Michael DeVera, Holly Chapman, Margaret Ragni – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1Liver transplantation for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐positive patients with end‐stage liver disease in the era of highly active retroviral therapy has proven to be an effective treatment.

James R. Burton, Amnon Sonnenberg, Hugo R. Rosen – 21 September 2004 – Key Points 1Retransplantation (re‐LT) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence is controversial. Although re‐LT accounts for 10% of all liver transplants (LTs), the number of patients requiring re‐LT is expected to grow as primary LT recipients survive long enough to develop graft failure from recurrent disease.2Utility, as applied to the medical ethics of transplantation, refers to allocating organs to those individuals who will make the best use of them.