Success for international liver transplant conference

The ERAS4OLT.org project was developed to identify the main domains of Enhanced Recovery after Liver Transplantation. The project aimed to generate internationally accepted guidelines based on available evidence and expert opinion and culminated in the annual ILTS Consensus Conference held January, 28-29 2022.

Delegrates from around the globe participated in  lively discussion and debate about the optimal management of liver transplant patients in order to enhance their recovery.  "We have received overwhelming and touching feedback from all over the world," said Dr Mike Spiro, co-chair of ERAS and consultant anaesthesiologist and Intensive Care physician at The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The conference generated over 80 consensus statements from this project, which have been reviewed, modified and agreed by a jury formed of 9 world renowned healthcare lleaders, including senior members from NHS England, The WHO, international health ministries and global health organisations.

"All 32 panels have, with our support, produced manuscripts based upon systematic reviews/metanalyses of the topics that we allocated to them.  All of these 32 manuscripts have already been submitted to Clinical Transplantation for publication in a special edition of that journal.  These will, when published together, provide a comprehensive review of the evidence and expert recommendations for optimal patient management.  The summary recommendations paper is already in preparation and we have agreement from an extremely high impact factor journal to publish this too, " said Dr Spiro.

"I think that though this process we have put The Royal Free and UCL centre stage as a world leading centre for Enhanced Recovery of the liver transplant patient."

"The support of Prof Joerg Pollok in his role as chief investigator alongside the current president of the ILTS, Marina Berenguer and Prof Claus Niemann, the past president of the ILTS, has been invaluable. Mr Dimitri Raptis the Co-Chair of the project deserves a special mention.  His methodological, statistical, IT skills, tenacity and vision have been unbelievable.  It has been my huge pleasure to work so closely with him on this project," concluded Dr Spriro. 

Further information

• UCL Division of Surgery and Interventional Science
• ERAS4OLT.org 
• Enhanced recovery for liver transplantation: recommendations from the 2022 International Liver Transplantation Society consensus conference. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology. January 2023
• Dr Michael Spiro academic Profile
• International Liver Transplant Society
• Royal Free Hospital, London
• Main image: (Left to right) Mr Dimitri Raptis and Dr Mike Spiro at ERAS 2022