Reply to: “Primed for the spotlight: Transplantation for alcohol-associated liver disease”

We appreciate the comments by Dr. Im and agree fully with the issues raised, including the negative effect terms like “alcoholic” and “recidivism” have on society’s view of alcohol-related diseases. Similarly, we too endorse the need for more research aimed at optimizing candidate selection for liver transplantation in patients with severe alcohol-related hepatitis. It was emphasized both in Dr Im’s let ter and our editorial that fears about the impact of offering donated liver allografts to those with severe alcohol-related hepatitis – that i) donors would be discouraged by the policy and ii) that such patients would compete for and reduce the availability of donor organs to patients with other liver disorders – have not been realized, as supported by recent data.
Source: Journal of Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research