Prognostic factors and outcomes of Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE): nine-year experience from a lower-middle income country.

PURPOSE: Outcome data after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) reported worldwide show considerable regional and institutional variation. It is not known whether the same standards of outcomes reported in western world can be replicated in resource-poor countries.

METHODS: We reviewed 79 patients of which 43 had completed a 2-year minimum follow-up. Two cohorts were based on age at KPE. The median age at surgery was 60 days.

RESULTS: Clearance of jaundice (COJ) at 3 months was 20.93% and was not affected by age at surgery (p = 0.295). Four patients (9.3%) received liver transplant and 16 patients (37.21%) were recorded dead at a median age of 7 months. Native liver survival (NLS) was 53.49% and overall survival (OS) was 62.79%. Kaplan-Meier estimated 4- and 6-year NLS were 55.8% and 49.6%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the NLS between early and late surgery groups.

CONCLUSION: While causes for low COJ need to be explored, these data reaffirm that early surgery has a significant favorable effect on survival. NLS was comparable with data from the developed world, whereas low OS is explained by limited access to transplant. Thus, where the survival depends on native liver longevity, emphasis should be on as early KPE as possible.