[Evolution of pediatric patients with liver transplantation in a tertiary care hospital in northeast country].

Introduction: Liver transplantation is indicated for the treatment of pediatric patients with progressive liver disease in which an expected survival of less than a year would be achieved with the transplant. The aim of this study was to determine the evolution of pediatric liver transplant patients in a tertiary care hospital in the northeast country.

Results: Twelve patients subjected to liver transplantation included nine females and three males; one case required retransplantation. Age at transplantation was 3.3 years (range 0.11-14). The weight at transplantation was 12.4 kg (5.7-35.5). The most common indication for transplantation was biliary atresia in six patients (50%). According to the type of graft, 12 (92.3%) were from cadaveric donors, of which seven were segmental. The most common complications were infectious ones in nine patients (75%); surgical complications occurred in eight children (66.6%), with immediate postoperative bleeding in five cases (41.6%). The three-year survival in the entire series was 50%.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that pediatric liver transplantation is possible in this institution, with a better survival expectancy of patients in the future.