Liver transplantation for polycystic liver disease: How feasible is this option?

Polycystic liver disease is a rare hereditary disease that can occur as an isolated disease. Because of its benign nature, polycystic liver disease rarely needs treatment. If treatment is needed, there are no standard guidelines, but usually, a liver resection or medical therapy is performed. A liver transplant is the last resort when all other possibilities have been exhausted, or complications arise. However, the risks and benefits must be carefully weighed. A retrospective registry analysis of the SRTR database was done for liver transplants performed in the United States from January 2001 to May 2023. The analysis of the data indicated a notable improvement in 5-year graft survival rates between the 2001–2010 group (mean of 92 %) and the 2011–2023 group (mean of 97 %) (P < .001). The 2011–2023 group had a higher proportion of simultaneous kidney and liver transplants, more than 3 times, from 106 cases to 374 cases (57.7 % vs. 42.3 %, P = .001). The type of transplant was also considered when analyzing the 5-year survival of grafts. Patients who underwent both kidney and liver transplants simultaneously had a slightly better outcome. It was found that the only hazard affecting LT graft survival in the cohort was the cold ischemic time (HR: 2.80, P = .03). With all the surgical techniques and post-operation improvements, a liver transplant can be a feasible option for polycystic liver disease when the medical treatments are not sufficient to eliminate the symptoms.