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The first human orthotopic liver transplantation in Europe was performed by Sir Roy Calne of the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, in 1968.
This was only 1 year after the first successful human orthotopic liver transplantation reported by Thomas Starzl in the United States.
Since then, over 80,000 orthotopic liver transplantation have been performed in Europe.
Dr Philipp Dutkowski and colleagues from Switzerland report on the continuing trends in liver transplantation in Europe.
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| The current 5-year survival at 71% |
| Gastroenterology |
The team noted that the overall results have dramatically improved over time with a current 5-year survival at 71%, in contrast with 21% in the mid 1980s, and 52%–65% for the period extending from 1985 to 1994.
Several landmark advances have contributed to this success, such as the introduction of new immunosuppressive agents and preservation solutions, refinement and standardization of operative techniques, as well as earlier diagnosis and treatment of postoperative complications.
The team observed that this stepwise improvement has led to an increasing acceptance of orthotopic liver transplantation among health care providers and patients.
Dr Dutkowski's team concludes, "In addition, it consequently led to a widening of indications for transplantation, including hepatic tumors such as cholangiocarcinoma and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors, and patient with HIV co-infection."
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