Impact of distance from liver transplant centre on outcomes following liver transplantation: an Australian single-centre study.

BACKGROUND

Access to liver transplantation (LT) is affected by geographic disparities. Higher waitlist mortality is observed in patients residing farther from LT centres, but the impact of distance on post-LT outcomes is unclear.

AIMS

To evaluate whether the distance LT recipients reside from their LT centre affects graft and patient outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied consecutive adult patients who received deceased donor LT at a statewide LT referral centre, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH), 2006-2021. The primary outcome was overall patient survival.

RESULTS

A total of 973 patients who underwent LT during the study period were analysed. The median distance from patient residence to RPAH was 44.9 km (interquartile range 21.9-168.0). Of these, 64.2% lived ≤100 km from RPAH. Compared to patients living ≤100 km from RPAH, those living >100 km away were less likely to be male, have chronic hepatitis B as their cause of liver disease or have hepatocellular carcinoma as their primary indication for LT. Living >100 km from RPAH was associated with fewer face-to-face clinic visits in the first year after LT (10 vs 11 visits, P < 0.001) and fewer readmissions to RPAH (32.4% vs 67.6%, P < 0.001). Distance from RPAH, regional code and socioeconomic code did not affect long-term graft or patient survival based on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (log-rank P > 0.1).

CONCLUSION

In our single-centre Australian study, patients living farther from their LT centre had different demographics. Distance from the LT centre was not associated with long-term inferior graft or patient survival after LT.