Auckland paediatric liver transplant experience 1990-2000

Aims. New Zealand is establishing its own Paediatric Liver Transplant Service. However there have been no readily available data on the experience of New Zealand paediatric transplant recipients to date. The aim of our study was to determine numbers and indications for transplant at present, current outcomes and to estimate the likely demand for the service in the future. Methods. A retrospective search of computerised records was performed on children cared for at Starship Hospital from 1990 to 2000. Results. Seventeen children received eighteen transplants. The indication for transplantation was biliary atresia in the majority of patients (11/17, 65%). A higher proportion of Maori and Pacific Island children received transplants than would be expected from their proportion in the population (59 vs 29%, p < 0.01). Significant and often multiple complications occurred post transplantation in the majority of children, but overall outcomes were good. Conclusions. A New Zealand Paediatric Liver Transplant Program is likely to perform about six transplants per year.