Impact of Pre- and Post-liver Transplant Addiction Treatment and AA Attendance on Outcomes for Recipients with Alcoholic Liver Disease

Aims: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the second most common indication for liver transplantation (LT). Transplant centers do not have consistent guidelines regarding candidate involvement in alcoholism treatment programs and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings as prerequisites to listing. Few studies have investigated the efficacy of these interventions in promoting long-term abstinence post-transplant. This study assessed the impact of pre- and post-transplant addiction treatment and AA on post-transplant relapse and survival in alcoholic liver recipients. Methods: This retrospective review included all LT recipients with ALD from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2012 at a Midwestern U.S. transplant center. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from the medical record. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson/ Spearman correlations, chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical data, and student t-test for quantitative data. Results: In total, 236 patients with ALD underwent LT. Mean follow-up was 84.8 ± 56.4 months. Recipients were 83% males with 5-year survival of 75.8%. Relapse to any alcohol use occurred in 17.4%; 5.9% during the 1st year, and