Reducing transfusion requirements in liver transplantation

Core Tip

Core tip: Liver transplantation (LT) was historically associated with massive blood loss. Many factors have contributed to the decline in bleeding and transfusion in the past two decades including refinement of surgical techniques, anaesthetic management and the use of point of care guided goal-directed haemostatic therapies. Increasing awareness of the adverse associations of allogenic transfusion has driven the quest for transfusion-free transplantation. Increasing use of marginal grafts and transplantation of sicker recipients will continue to challenge perioperative care and transfusion practice. Inter-institutional variability suggests a current lack of clear guidance and limited application of the principles of patient blood management to LT.