THE FIRST REPORT OF LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IN IRAN

Background – Liver failure and its complications are among the gravest diseases, and are relatively common in Iran. The only effective treatment for most of these patients is liver transplantation, which has only been available in Iran for 8 years. The aim of this study was to show that liver transplantation is feasible and affordable for patients in Iran. Methods – Records of all patients from the Liver Transplantation Unit, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran over the past 8 years were reviewed. Clinical data were analyzed focusing on the cause of liver disease, surgical techniques adopted, post-transplantation complications, and duration of early and late survival. Results – During this period, 28 patients (19 males and nine females) received liver transplantation (mean age, 20.76 ± 12.37 yr; range, 4 . 48 yr). Twenty-one patients received organs from cadaver and seven from living-related donors. The most common cause of liver failure in adults receiving transplantation was cryptogenic cirrhosis, while the most common cause in children was biliary atresia. Early mortality (within 1 month after transplantation) including primary nonfunction of the graft occurred in seven patients. One patient died of duct syndrome 1 year after transplantation. The others were alive, healthy and active at the time of this report. Conclusion – Liver transplantation has been performed in our center for the past 8 yearswith acceptable results and the success rate is improving.