Intraoperative management of liver transplant patients.

Linda L Liu, Claus U Niemann

Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.

Transplantation reviews (Orlando, Fla.) 2011 Jul

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Liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease results in excellent outcomes. Patient and graft outcome is closely monitored on a national level, and 1-year survival is between 80% and 95%. Liver transplantation relies on a multidisciplinary approach, with close involvement of anesthesiologists and intensivists. However, intraoperative care of these patients remains inconsistent and is highly institution dependent. This brief-review article will focus on controversial topics of intraoperative care. Existing evidence on intraoperative monitoring, intraoperative fluid and transfusion management, electrolyte and glucose management, postoperative patient disposition, and, lastly, anesthesia team management will be reviewed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.