Increasing liver transplantation waiting list mortality: a report from the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney.

Background: We aimed to describe the demand for liver transplantation (LTx) and patient outcomes on the waiting list at the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit, Sydney over the last 20 years.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis with the data divided into three eras: 1985-1993, 1994-2000 and 2001-2008.

Results: The number of patients accepted for LTx increased from 320 to 372 and 548 (P < 0.

Retrieval of organs for transplantation: experience of the Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit.

The Australian National Liver Transplantation Unit carried out 251 multiple organ-retrieval procedures between January 1986 and December 1994: 53% were in the Sydney metropolitan area, 22% in country New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, 21% interstate and 4% in New Zealand; mean total procurement times were, respectively, 4 hours 57 minutes, 6 hours 58 minutes, 9 hours 20 minutes and 12 hours 20 minutes. Donor operation times steadily decreased over the nine years. One-year patient and graft survival rates were 77.