Practice Patterns of Liver Transplant Anesthesiology

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Abstract

Liver transplantation (LT) continues to be one of the most complex and resource-intensive multidisciplinary procedures. Since the first successful human liver transplant in the US in 1967 by Thomas Starzl [1], considerable improvements in surgical and anesthetic techniques, perioperative management, and outcomes have evolved [2]. Driven by the limited number of donor organs and an ever-increasing patient waiting list combined with the need to optimize recipient and donor graft outcomes, transplant clinicians are developing evidence-based practices in their respective specialties. The evidence base for perioperative anesthetic management in liver transplantation is an area of active inquiry and an assessment of current practices may promote understanding and establishment of best practices in this specialty. A report on resource utilization in anesthesia for liver transplantation indicated great variability between liver transplant centers in the US in part depending on transplant volume [3]. Despite this practice report in 2003, there remains an information and knowledge gap regarding outcomes related to such practices, underscoring the need for evidence-based practice recommendations to guide anesthetic management.

Keywords

Liver Transplantation International Center Early Extubation Anesthesia Team Liver Transplant Center 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of AnesthesiologyVanderbilt University Medical Center, Tennessee Valley Healthcare System- VANashvilleUSA
  2. 2.Department of Anesthesiology, Tufts Medical CenterTufts University School of MedicineBostonUSA

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