Quadrennial review on liver transplantation.

Abstract

Within the last years, liver transplantation has definitely come of age, and evolved to the standard treatment of choice for patients with endstage liver disease, and after ineffective conventional therapy. This development became possible on the basis of intensive interdisciplinary scientific research and clinical experience, and is the result of a multiplicity of single factors related to patient selection, organ donation, the transplant operation, immunosuppressive therapy, and postoperative care of the recipient. Some of the most important aspects will be summarized in this article.