Project 461194

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease, but it carries a high risk of complications. About 60% of liver transplant recipients suffer from a severe postoperative complication. Few perioperative interventions (conducted just before, during or just after the surgery) have been shown to reduce these complications in liver transplantation. Blood volume management and intravenous fluid administration is an important aspect of anesthesia and perioperative care in this population. A restrictive approach to fluid administration has been suggested to improve outcomes. We propose to compare the effects of an intraoperative restrictive fluid management strategy to a more liberal one on major postoperative complications, mortality and quality of life in adult liver transplantation. Since no Canadian multicenter perioperative clinical trial has ever been undertaken in this population, we propose to conduct a pilot multicenter randomized controlled feasibility trial. If feasibility of such a trial is confirmed, a future efficacy trial will be completed to answer this important research question.