Abstract

Objective: To describe the outcomes of adult liver transplantation at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, including post-transplant complications, mortality and survival.

Methods: A retrospective descriptive case series of all recipients aged ≥ 16 years who underwent living donor (LDLT) or deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) between August 2018 and March 2026. The primary outcome was overall survival; secondary outcomes were post-transplant complications graded by the Clavien-Dindo classification, graft rejection and mortality. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with 95% confidence intervals.

Results: A total of 67 patients underwent liver transplantation (58 LDLT and 9 DDLT). The mean age was 54.3 ± 12.0 years, 74.6% were male, and the median follow-up was 15.7 months (maximum 92 months). Surgical complications occurred in 18 patients (26.9%), with major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ IIIa) in 13 patients (19.4%); the most common were portal vein stenosis/thrombosis, bile leak and postoperative bleeding (4.5% each). Acute rejection occurred in 14.9% and infection in 20.9% of patients. Nine patients died (13.4%), seven of them from infection-related causes. Survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 89.3%, 89.3% and 84.3%, respectively.

Conclusion: Adult liver transplantation at our center achieved favorable survival during the early phase of the program. Infection was the leading cause of death, while vascular and biliary complications and rejection remain the main challenges.