The latest developments in liver transplantation

SummarySince 1983, when the UK liver transplantation (LT) programme began, LT has undergone major changes. Advances in immunosuppression, surgical and anaesthetic techniques, intensive care of LT recipients and general knowledge about LT have improved outcomes significantly. Developments in LT involve teamwork, and anaesthetic achievements are in constant interaction with other specialities, mainly surgery and hepatology. In the last 5 years, anaesthesia for LT has made some modest advances. In this paper, we analysed the latest developments in anaesthesia for LT, namely preoperative assessment, intraoperative haemodynamic monitoring, early extubation, decreased usage of blood and blood products, better understanding of haemostasis monitoring, improvements in postoperative pain treatment, better prediction of outcomes, enhanced communication amongst LT anaesthetists worldwide and rational utilisation of the resources available for anaesthesia for LT.