AHAD ESHRAGHİAN, HAMED NİKOUPOUR, MASOOD DEHGHANİ, SİAVASH GHOLAMİ, ALİREZA SHAMSAEEFAR, KOUROSH KAZEMİ, AHMAD KHALİD SANAEİ, ALİREZA TAGHAVİ, SEYED ALİ MALEK HOSSEİNİ, SAMAN NİKEGHBALİAN
Experimental and Clinical Transplantation - 2022;20(10):925-929
Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 has resulted in significant morbidities and mortalities in nearly all parts of the world. There remain major concerns about management, timing, and safety of liver transplant in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. We aimed to study the clinical course and outcomes of patients with liver cirrhosis who recovered from COVID-19 and underwent liver transplant from deceased donors. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on liver transplant recipients who underwent liver transplant from April 1, 2020, to January 30, 2021. We evaluated all recipients of liver transplant from deceased donors during this period in the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: There were 14 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who had recovered from COVID-19 as documented by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2. Mean duration from COVID-19 to transplant surgery was 56.14 ± 29.96 days. Mortality occurred in 3 patients, and of whom 2 had been hospitalized and received medications for COVID-19 before transplant. Five patients had positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction results for SARS-CoV-2 after liver transplant. Conclusions: This is a large reported series of patients with liver cirrhosis who have received liver transplant after recovery from COVID-19. We provided evidence that liver transplant from deceased donors should be considered in patients recovered from COVID-19, especially in those with deterioration of clinical status.
