Improvements in the management of patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) have resulted in a significant increase in survival in recent years. Cardiac disease is now the leading cause of early mortality, and the stress of major surgery, hemodynamic shifts, and the possibilities of hemorrhage or reperfusion syndrome require the recipient to have good baseline cardiac function. The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is increasing in LT candidates, especially in those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In assessing LT recipients, we suggest a management paradigm of "quadruple assessment" to include (1) history, examination, and electrocardiogram; (2) transthoracic echocardiogram; (3) functional testing; and (4) where appropriate, direct assessment of CAD. The added value of functional testing, such as cardiopulmonary exercise testing, has been shown to be able to predict posttransplant complications independently of the presence of CV disease. This approach gives the assessment team the greatest chance of detecting and preventing complications related to CAD. Liver Transplantation 23 386-395 2017 AASLD.

Most women with cirrhosis who conceived achieved a successful pregnancy outcome. ALBI and APRI scores can prognosticate pregnancy outcomes in women with CLD. Preconception counseling by a hepatologist or specialist obstetrician improved patient care in this group.

Liver transplantation (LT) is a successful treatment for both acute liver failure and end-stage liver disease. The number of women of reproductive age undergoing LT is increasing. Pregnancy outcomes are favorable, but there is still a lack of prognostic markers. We aimed to identify factors predictive of adverse pregnancy outcomes in LT recipients. An analysis of all pregnancies occurring in LT recipients from 1989 to 2016 at King's College Hospital was performed. Clinical data of 162 conceptions in 93 women were reviewed. Descriptive and regression analyses were done to examine associations between laboratory markers and hepatological scores with pregnancy outcomes of live birth and preterm birth. Median age at LT was 23 years (range, 1-41 years), with a median age at conception of 30 years (range, 18-47 years). The live birth rate was 75% (n = 121). Of live births, 35% (n = 39/110 available) were delivered preterm. Preconception creatinine levels were higher in patients who had a preterm birth (85 versus 74 μmol/L; P = 0.008), with a preconception estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <90 mL/minute significantly associated with preterm delivery (P = 0.04). Progressive decline in eGFR predicted outcome, with gestational length declining with increasing chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage: CKD 0-1 = 39 weeks (median), CKD 2 = 37 weeks, and CKD 3 = 35 weeks. The risk of preterm birth was greatest in women with an eGFR <60 mL/minute (P = 0.004). Moreover, hypertension-related complications during pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or eclampsia, were also associated with prematurity (P = 0.01). Women taking steroid-based immunosuppression had an increased risk of infection during pregnancy or postpartum (15% versus 4%; P = 0.02). In conclusion, although the majority of women have a successful pregnancy outcome after LT, preconception renal function predicts pregnancy outcome and steroids increase risk of infection during pregnancy or postpartum. Liver Transplantation 24 606-615 2018 AASLD.

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