Role of pretransplant echocardiographic evaluation in predicting outcomes following liver transplantation

Maintenance of cardiac function is critical to the survival of patients with end-stage liver disease after liver transplantation (LT). We sought to determine whether pre-LT echocardiographic indices of right heart structure and function were independently predictive of morbidity and mortality post-LT. We retrospectively studied 216 consecutive patients who underwent pre-LT 2-dimensional/Doppler echocardiography with subsequent LT from 2007 to 2010. A blinded reader analyzed multiple echocardiographic parameters, including right ventricular structure and function, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and the presence and severity of tricuspid regurgitation (TR). On univariate analysis, Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, PASP, presence of ≥mild TR, post-operative renal replacement therapy (RRT) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were found to be significant predictors of adverse outcomes. On multivariate analysis, only ≥mild TR was found to predict both patient mortality (p = 0.0024, HR = 3.91, 95% CI: 1.62-9.44) and graft failure (p = 0.0010, HR = 3.70, 95% CI: 1.70-8.06). PASP and MELD correlated with post-LT intensive care unit length of stay (LOS) and, along with hemodialysis, were associated with hospital LOS and time on ventilator. In conclusion, pre-LT echocardiographic assessments of the right heart may be useful in predicting post-LT morbidity and mortality and guiding the selection of appropriate LT candidates. This retrospective study evaluates the role of pretransplant echocardiographic assessment of the right heart in predicting outcomes following liver transplantation and finds that the severity of tricuspid regurgitation is strongly associated with patient and graft survival.