Author information
1 Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco.
2 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford Health Care, Palo Alto.
3 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford.
4 Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Alameda Health System, Highland Hospital, Oakland, CA.
Abstract
GOAL: To evaluate the impact of Karnofsky Performance Status score (KPSS) at the time of liver transplantation (LT) on post-LT survival.
BACKGROUND: While the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is used to prioritize individuals for LT, it does not specifically incorporate functional status into patient assessment for LT.
METHODS: Using 2005 to 2016 United Network for Organ Sharing data, all adults (age 18 y and above) undergoing LT were identified. The association of KPSS at the time of LT (KPSS 1: functional status 80% to 100%, KPSS 2: 60% to 70%, KPSS 3: 40% to 50%, KPSS 4: 10% to 30%) with post-LT survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods and adjusted multivariate logistic regression models.
RESULTS: Among 66,397 LT recipients (68% male, 72% non-Hispanic white, 22% hepatocellular carcinoma, median age: 55 to 57), women were more likely to be KPSS 4 at the time of LT compared with men (27.95% vs. 22.79%; P<0.001) and African Americans (25.43% vs. 23.03%; P<0.001) and Hispanics (31.69% vs. 23.03%; P<0.001) were more likely to be KPSS 4 than non-Hispanic whites. Worse KPSS at LT correlated with higher post-LT mortality [compared with KPSS 1: Hazard Ratio (HR) for KPSS 2: 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.22; HR for KPSS 3: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.32-1.49; HR for KPSS 4: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.55-1.79]. This increased mortality seen with worse KPSS was observed among all liver disease etiologies and in patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma.
CONCLUSIONS: Worse functional status at the time of LT is strongly associated with higher risk of mortality following LT, emphasizing the importance of optimizing performance status in the preoperative period.