This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Study compares liver transplantation success, donor cause of death

Transplant patients with less severe chronic liver disease had decreased survival rates after receiving organs from post-cardiac death donors, according to a study.

But researchers observed a survival benefit in patients with more severe liver disease, based on the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD), who received organs from post-cardiac death donors, compared with staying on the waitlist.

Investigators also examined the relative cost-effectiveness of post-cardiac death liver donations compared with donations after brain death. Higher costs and lower survival rates were associated with post-cardiac death transplantation in patients who received MELD exception points. Investigators also calculated that post-cardiac death transplantations were associated with an additional +0.26 quality-adjusted life years and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $552,000 per quality-adjusted life year.

“All [incremental cost-effectiveness ratios] were beyond conventional willingness-to-pay thresholds,” the study authors wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.