Introduction The frequency and outcomes of anhepatic patients listed for transplantation in the United States have not been studied. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) records anhepatic status for patients listed as Status 1A for hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) or primary non‐function (PNF). Methods Using the UNOS database from 2005 to 2020, demographics and waitlist outcomes of anhepatic candidates relisted as Status 1A for HAT or PNF were assessed. Results Among 1364 adult Status 1A patients relisted for PNF or HAT across 120 distinct transplant centres, 75 (5.5%) patients were anhepatic and 1289 (94.5%) were non‐anhepatic. A substantial number of centres (n = 51) had experience with ≥1 anhepatic patient relisted for either PNF or HAT, with individual centre rates ranging from 0% to 11.4%. Waitlist mortality was more than twice as high for anhepatic patients: 42.5% versus 17.0% non‐anhepatic patients (p < .001). The post‐transplant outcomes of anhepatic patients were markedly inferior to non‐anhepatic patients. For example, 41.9% of anhepatic patients died during the index admission versus 23.4% of the non‐anhepatic group (p = .006). Patient survival for the anhepatic and non‐anhepatic groups was 48.3% versus 66.2% at 1‐year and 29.3% versus 46.2% at 5‐years, respectively (log‐rank test for overall survival p = .014). Conclusions Rescue hepatectomy after initial liver transplantation is not only associated with high waitlist mortality, but also markedly worse post‐transplant outcomes. With less than half of anhepatic patients surviving to the first year post‐LT, further research is warranted to better delineate which patients should be considered for rescue hepatectomy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.