Preventing cardiovascular complications in liver transplant patients

Dr Benjamin Cailes, The University of Melbourne

2023 PhD Scholarships

Years funded: 2024 - 2026

Liver transplantation offers a cure for Australians with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death following this procedure, with rates of post-transplant cardiac events remaining high over the past 20 years despite improvements in surgical techniques and overall complication rates. This may be due to undetected cardiac dysfunction, termed cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM). It is important to minimise these high-risk events, as donor organs remain a rare and life-saving resource. Using a novel, validated method for identifying this condition, we aim to evaluate whether CCM increases the risk of post-transplant cardiac events, and whether this condition resolves following transplantation. This will allow personalized risk stratification of patients undergoing transplantation and will identify whether targeted therapies could improve outcomes. This in turn will help us ensure that valuable donor organs are matched with the patients who have the highest chance of undergoing a successful surgery.