Indication of liver transplantation in severe alcoholic liver cirrhosis: quantitative evaluation and optimal timing.

Background/aims: The aim of our study was to evaluate the proportion of patients with severe alcoholic cirrhosis who would need orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and to determine the optimal delay to evaluate an abstinent patient for transplantation.

Methods: Survival without OLT, improvement in liver function and need for OLT were studied in all patients admitted in 1997 for a first episode of Child-Pugh C alcoholic cirrhosis.

Results: Twenty-six percent (19/74) of patients died during the initial hospitalization.