| Description: |
Introduction Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the only effective treatment in patients with end–stage liver disease. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is associated with increased peri–operative OLT mortality. Thus, identification of CAD is crucial in pre–OLT evaluation. There is not a specific pre–OLT accepted diagnostic algorithm for CAD detection. 2014 ESC guidelines for non–cardiac surgery management consider OLT as a high–risk abdominal surgery and only patients with CAD history, suspected symptoms and low exercise capacity are invited to undergo to specific functional exams such as stress–echo. Purpose of the present study was to compare the ESC protocol with our cardiologic pre–OLT protocol, in which tests of ischemia and coronary CT are largely administered on based on presence of risk factors. Methods. From 2014 to 2021 all OLT candidates have been evaluated by visit, electrocardiography, rest and, when possible, stress echocardiography. In subject aged > 50 years with diabetes and/or two or more of the following risk factors: smoking, CAD family history, peripheral vascular disease, CT was performed. CGF was scheduled when CAD history and typical symptoms of angina. We theoretically re–analyse our database in order to consider the potential destiny of each patient in case of application of ECS 2014 protocol. We were able to calculate the differences in the number of potentially loss CAD diagnosis. Results. 367 patients (58.2%, age 57±5.7 years, males 74%) underwent OLT. Stress Echo was performed in 239 (65.1%) and positivity was found in 24 pz (6,5%). Coronary CT was performed in 95 (25,8%). CGF was performed in 75 patients (20.1%), 38 (9,2%) directly for known CAD and/or symptoms. Critical coronary lesions were found in 12 patients (3,2 %): 7 revascularized by PTCA, 1 by CABG and 4 medically managed, 25 patients had non critical lesions (7.8%), 31 patients (9.6%) referred to CGF were subsequently removed by transplant list, whereas OLT was successfully performed in PTCA patients ... |