Introduction: MELD score was validated as a predictor of mortality for a wide variety of liver diseases,8 including cirrhotic patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT).9 we try to assess the impact of MELD score on patient survival and morbidity post living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) .
Design: Retrospective study.
Methodology: Between February 2007 and December 2011, 80 adults patients, randomly selected with ESLD, had living donor liver transplantation. Nine patients were excluded, the remaining 71 patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 38 patients with MELD
< 20. Group 2 included 33 patients with MELD > 20. We compared both groups as regard
operative data (including operative time and intra-operative blood requirement), early post operative course (including JCU stay, hospital stay, incidence of infection and other morbidity like renal impairment, cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological complications) and patient survival up to 1 July 2012.
Results: Eleven patients died during this study (15.2%): three out of 38 patients (7.8%) in
group 1 and 8 outof33 patients (24.2%) [P=0.02]. Mean hospital stay was 30±14 and 29±18 days in 1st and 2nd group respectively [P=0.937]. The mean JCU stay in group 1 and 2 was
7±3 and 9± 4 days [P=0.315]. Mean operative time in group 1 and 2 was 11.1±2 and 10.6±1.4 hours [P=0.292]. Mean volume of blood transfusion and cellsaver re-transfusion were 8±4 unit and 1668±202 ml respectively in group 1 in comparison to 10±6 unit and 1910±679 ml respectively in group 2 [ P = 0.09 and 0.167]. The incidence of infection was 39.4% and 45.4% in group 1 and 2 respectively [P=0.48]. The incidence of systemic complications (renal, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological complications) in group 1 and 2 were 36.8% and 45.5% [P =0.3]
Conclusion: MELD score more than 20 can predict poor overall survival post living donor liver transplantation. No significant relation between MELD score and intra-operative blood requirement, hospital, and JCU stay or post LDLT morbidity was noted.