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Long-Term Outcome and Transition

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Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation
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Abstract

Paediatric liver transplantation has come a long way since the first transplant in 1963. Whereas outcome data two decades later are excellent, survival for young people is inferior to younger age groups, and protocol liver biopsies have shown evidence of fibrosis in up to half of the patients with normal liver function tests, and the impact of non-specific inflammation on further long-term graft survival is currently unknown. Complications related to immunosuppressive treatment remain prevalent, and adherence is a challenge for all patients, not only for adolescents and young adults. With better survival, the emphasis of care for children and young people post liver transplantation has shifted from survival to a more holistic care model including health-related quality of life and its related issues such as growth, puberty, cognition, education and mental health. This chapter will also address the challenges for young people and their families moving on from paediatric to adult-centred healthcare services and how a multidisciplinary approach can facilitate this process.

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Samyn, M. (2019). Long-Term Outcome and Transition. In: D'Antiga, L. (eds) Pediatric Hepatology and Liver Transplantation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96400-3_37

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