Anesthetic Conditioning in Liver Transplantation: Results of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background data: In the age of organ scarcity and the increased use of older and steatotic organ grafts, protective strategies during transplantation are gaining importance. Volatile anesthetics such as sevoflurane attenuate ischemia-reperfusion injury in liver resection and lead to improved clinical outcome. Whether volatile anesthetics change clinical outcome in liver transplantation is unknown. Methods: Cadaveric liver recipients were randomized from 03/2009 to 08/2012 at three University Centers (Zurich, Sao Paulo, Ghent). Standard liver transplant patients were randomly assigned to propofol anesthesia (control group) or conditioning with sevoflurane (sevoflurane group). Postoperative peak of the aspartate transaminase (AST) was defined as primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were in-hospital complications, hospital- and ICU stay. Results: Ninety-eight patients, who underwent liver transplantation, were randomized to propofol (n=48) or sevoflurane (n=50). Peak AST after transplantation was 925 U/l (512-3274) in the propofol group (p=0.73) and 1097 U/l (interquartile range 540-2633) in the sevofluorane one. While the overall complication rate was not different, there was a trend towards less severe complications in the sevoflurane group: median complication score was grade IIIa (IQR II-IVb) for the propofol and grade II (IQR 0-IIIb) for the sevoflurane group (Odds ratio 0.51, 0.24 to 1.09, p=0.08). Conclusions: This first multicenter trial with different anesthesia regimens in liver transplantation showed comparable surrogate markers postoperatively, but a trend towards less severe complications in the sevoflurane group. Future trials should be adequately powered to assess complications and identify subgroups, which might benefit from anesthetic conditioning.