Intraoperative hypotension during critical phases of liver transplantation and its impact on acute kidney injury: a retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) following Liver Transplantation (LT) is associated with prolonged ICU and hospital stay, increased risk of chronic renal disease, and decreased graft survival. Intraoperative hypotension is a modifiable risk factor associated with postoperative AKI. We aimed to determine in which phase of LT hypotension has the strongest association with AKI: the anhepatic or neohepatic phase. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients undergoing LT between January 2010 and June 2022. Exclusion criteria were re-do or combined transplantations, preoperative dialysis, and early graft failure or death. Primary outcome was AKI as defined by KDIGO. Hypotension was Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) below predefined thresholds in minutes. Risk adjusted logistic regression analysis considered hypotension in 3 periods: the total procedure, anhepatic phase, and neohepatic phase. RESULTS: Our cohort included 1153 patients. The median MELD-NA score was 19 (IQR 11-28), and 412 (35.9%) were living-related donations. AKI occurred in 544 patients (47.2%). The unadjusted model showed an association with AKI for MAP < 60 mmHg (OR = 1.011 [1.0, 1.022], p = 0.047) and MAP < 55 mmHg (OR = 1.023 [1.002, 1.047], p = 0.040) in the anhepatic phase, and for MAP < 60 mmHg (OR = 1.032 [1.01, 1.056], p = 0.006) in the neohepatic phase. The adjusted model did not reach significance in the subgroups but did in the total procedure: MAP < 60 mmHg (OR = 1.005 [1.002, 1.008], p < 0.001) and MAP < 55 mmHg (OR = 1.008 [1.003-1.013], p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Intraoperative hypotension is independently associated with AKI following LT. This association is seen during the anhepatic phase. Maintaining MAP above 60 mmHg may improve kidney function after LT.