INTRODUCTION. Skeletal muscle mass plays a key role in body metabolism and allows physical activity. Skeletal muscle loss and fatty infiltration (myosteatosis) are pathological processes encountered in elderly patients and other chronic diseases. Both are associated with poor outcomes after surgical procedures. Patients with chronic liver disease or failure experience skeletal muscle loss. More than half of patients has myosteatosis. The influence of skeletal muscle loss and myosteatosis on outcomes after liver transplantation is not clearly understood. The complexity of liver transplantation treatment, patient heterogeneity, different methods for evaluating body composition, and different cut-off points for skeletal muscle loss or myosteatosis are the main reasons. Currently, there is no scoring system that can accurately predict post-LT outcomes. The aim of our study was to determine the role of skeletal muscle loss and myosteatosis in postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation. We evaluated the predictive value of the MELD SMI-L3 scoring system for the postoperative outcomes.
HYPOTHESIS
1. Skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis influence postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation
2. With the use of the skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis, we can determine the patient’s nutritional status and implement nutritional support in endangered individuals.
3. Etiology of liver disease is associated with incidence of myosteatosis
4. MELD SMI-L3 scoring system can predict postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected and analyzed data from patients who underwent liver transplantation between 1. 1. 2012 and 1. 1. 2022. Clinical and laboratory parameters and postoperative outcome data were also collected. Using the ABACS software, we analyzed the CT scans of patients at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. The skeletal muscle area was determined, and the skeletal muscle index was calculated. Based on the muscle attenuation, we calculated the presence of myosteatosis. Patients with and without low muscle mass and myosteatosis were compared in terms of length of ICU stay and hospitalization, postoperative complications, infection, and graft rejection using univariate and multivariate analyses.
RESULTS: A total of 138 patients were included in this study. Low SMI was found in 63% of male recipients and 28,9% of female recipients. High MI was observed in 45 patients (3,6 %). Ascites was associated with a lower skeletal muscle index (p < 0,05). The etiology of liver disease was associated with a higher MI (p = 0,008). Male patients with high SMI had longer ICU stays (p < 0,025). Low SMI had no influence on ICU stay in female patients (p = 0,544) or the length of hospitalization (male: p > 0,05, female: p = 0,843). MI did not influence ICU stay (p = 0,161) or hospitalization (p = 0,771). Combining SMI and MI as predictive factors of poor outcome after liver transplantation had no influence on postoperative complication rates (males: p = 0,883, females: p = 0,113, both groups: p = 0,839) and infection rate (males: p = 0,293, females: p = 0,285, both groups: p = 0,03). Graft rejection was not influenced by low SMI (males; p = 0,875, females: p = 0,135) or MI (p = 0,449). MELD SMI-L3 score had no predictive value (AUC = 0,52, p = 0,739) for postoperative outcomes after liver transplantations.
CONCLUSION. Patients on waiting list for liver transplantation suffer from skeletal muscle loss and myosteatosis. Etiology of liver disease is associated with skeletal muscle loss and myosteatosis. Compared with other etiologies, ethanol consumption is associated with a higher incidence of muscle loss and myosteatosis. Analyses of CT scans at the level of third lumbar vertebra is objective method for assessment of body composition. The skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis represent objective parameters of the patient’s nutritional status. We found no influence of skeletal muscle index and myosteatosis on postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation. Currently there is no useful scoring system to predict postoperative outcomes after liver transplantation. In nutritionally endangered patients, nutritional therapy should be implemented.
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