Pediatric and adult liver transplantation in Bahrain: The experiences in a country with no available liver transplant facilities

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation (LT) is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease and has become the standard and most effective treatment method for these patients. There are many indications for LT that vary between countries and settings. The outcome of LT depends on the available facilities and surgical expertise, as well as the types of liver graft donors available. AIM To assess the clinical characteristics of patients from Bahrain who underwent LT overseas, and analyze factors affecting their survival. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records and overseas committee registry information of all pediatric and adult patients who were sent overseas to undergo LT by the Pediatric and Medical Departments of Salmaniya Medical Complex and Bahrain Defence Force Hospital via the Overseas Treatment Office, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Bahrain, between 1997 and 2023. Demographic data, LT indication, donor-recipient relationship, overseas LT center, graft type, post-LT medications, and LT complications, were collected. Outcomes measured included the overall and 5-year LT survival rate. Fisher’s exact, Pearson χ 2, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the pediatric and the adults’ group in terms of clinical characteristics, donor-recipient relationship, medication, complications, and outcome. Survival analysis was estimated via the Kaplan-Meier’s method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect predictors of survival. RESULTS Of the 208 eligible patients, 170 (81.7%) were sent overseas to undergo LT while 38 (18.3%) remained on the waiting list. Of the 170 patients, 167 (80.3%) underwent LT and were included in the study. The majority of the patients were Bahraini (91.0%), and most were males (57.5%). One-hundred-and-twenty (71.8%) were adults and 47 (28.3%) were children. The median age at transplant was 50.0 [interquartile range (IQR): 14.9–58.4] years. The main indication for pediatric LT was biliary atresia (31.9%), while that of adult LT was hepatitis C-related cirrhosis (35.0%). Six (3.6%) patients required re-transplantation. Most patients received a living-related liver graft (82%). Pediatric patients received more living and related grafts than adults (P = 0.038 and P = 0.041, respectively), while adult patients received more cadaveric and unrelated grafts. Most patients required long-term immunosuppressive therapy after LT (94.7%), of which tacrolimus was the most prescribed (84.0%), followed by prednisolone (50.7%), which was prescribed more frequently for pediatric patients (P = 0.001). Most patients developed complications (62.4%) with infectious episodes being the most common (38.9%), followed by biliary stricture (19.5%). Tonsilitis and sepsis (n = 12, 8.1% for each) were the most frequent infections. Pediatric patients experienced higher rates of infection, rejection, and early poor graft function than adult patients (P < 0.001, P = 0.003, and P = 0.025, respectively). The median follow-up time was 6.5 (IQR: 2.6–10.6) years. The overall survival rate was 84.4%, the 5-year survival rate, 86.2%, and the mortality rate, 15.6%. Younger patients had significantly better odds of survival (P = 0.019) and patients who survived had significantly longer follow-up periods (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Patients with end-stage liver disease in Bahrain shared characteristics with those from other countries. Since LT facilities are not available, an overseas LT has offered them great hope.