Liver Transplantation and the Alcoholic Patient: Medical, Surgical and Psychosocial Issues Book

Alcohol-induced liver disease, the most common cause of end-stage liver failure in the developed world, is treated increasingly by liver transplantation. This poses especially difficult dilemmas for health care workers in liver transplant programs. Combining the expertise of hepatologists, surgeons, and psychiatrists, this text reviews the medical, surgical, and psychosocial aspects of evaluation, surgery, and post-liver-transplant care in alcoholics. The authors offer important practical advice, and illustrate possible solutions with examples from case histories. They conclude with a discussion of the ethical issues surrounding the controversial topic of liver transplantation in alcoholics. Essential reading for all involved in organ transplantation, this volume will provide valuable insight to all physicians, surgeons, psychiatrists, and health care professionals involved in the care of alcoholic patients.