Influence of Coronary Artery Disease on Outcomes After Liver Transplantation

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who undergo liver transplantation (OLT) have been previously identified as a high-risk group. Since that identification, the management of CAD has undergone significant changes as has the cardiovascular screening and selection of patients for OLT. We retrospectively identified 42 patients with known CAD who underwent OLT to compare outcomes with a control group of 42 patients without CAD who were matched for gender, age, and primary liver disease. Mortality rates were higher in the CAD than the control group at 1 year (5 vs 1) and 3 years (11 vs 3; P < .05) although lower than previously reported (at 3 years, 26% vs 50%). New cardiovascular morbidity was also more frequent among the CAD than control group at 1 year (11 vs 3; P < .05) and 3 years (16 vs 4; P < .05). Although outcomes for patients with CAD undergoing OLT are improved from historical levels, they are still worse than those in patients without CAD despite current management and selection strategies.