Workup and management of liver transplantation in alcohol‐related liver disease

Abstract

Alcohol‐related liver disease (ALD) represents the most common indication for liver transplantation (LT) worldwide. Outcomes of LT for ALD are comparable with those of LT for other etiologies; however, ALD is still considered a controversial indication for LT, mainly because it is considered a self‐inflicted disease with a high risk of return to alcohol use after LT. Pre‐LT evaluation criteria have changed over time, with a progressive re‐evaluation of the required pre‐transplant duration of abstinence. Despite the fact that some transplant programs still require 6 months of abstinence in order to consider a patient suitable for LT, there is increasing evidence that a pre‐transplant abstinence period of <6 months can be considered for well‐selected patients. Early LT for severe alcohol‐related hepatitis that has not responded to medical therapy has been shown to be an effective therapeutic option with high survival benefit when performed within strict and well‐recognized criteria. However, high variability in LT access exists for these patients due to the presence of social and medical stigma. A psycho‐social assessment, together with an evaluation by an addiction specialist, should be mandatory in patients with ALD who are potential candidates for LT in order to assess the risk of post‐transplant return to alcohol use and to ensure good long‐term outcomes. Finally, before LT, attention should be paid to the presence of other potential comorbidities (i.e., cardiovascular and neurological diseases), which could represent a potential contraindication to LT. Similarly, after LT, patients should be adequately monitored for the development of cardiovascular events and screened for “de novo” tumors, although standardized protocols for this monitoring do not exist at this time.