Knowledge Portal
Transplant referral and peri-transplant care
Liver transplantation may be definitive treatment for selected patients with acute liver failure, ACLF or end-stage liver disease. For the ICU team, the key tasks are timely referral, honest assessment of reversibility and candidacy, stabilisation while decisions are made, and recognition of early postoperative graft, vascular, haemodynamic, renal and infectious complications. Selection and listing remain centre-specific multidisciplinary decisions rather than decisions made from a single score.
Key information
Guidelines and position statements
Relevant clinical practice guidelines, practice guidance, consensus statements and position papers from professional bodies and expert groups.
EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on liver transplantation
EASL · guideline · 2024
Current European recommendations spanning candidate assessment, allocation and post-transplant care.
Open resource →Further context
Other useful resources
Selected review articles, practical explainers, expert discussions, reference sites and e-learning from established providers.
Advances in the postoperative care of the liver transplant recipient
Campbell N, Beattie C, Gillies MA. Current Opinion in Critical Care. 2026;32(2).
A current critical-care review of enhanced recovery, haemodynamics, graft optimisation and postoperative support.
Open resource →Liver Transplantation in the Context of ACLF: Where Do We Stand in 2025?
L’Hermite S, et al. Transplant International. 2025;38:14752.
A thoughtful review of selection, timing and outcomes for transplantation in severe ACLF.
Open resource →2024 Clinical Update in Liver Transplantation
Wilke TJ, et al. Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia. 2025;39(6):1547–1555.
A perioperative update aimed at anaesthetists and intensivists.
Open resource →Adult Liver Transplantation: Postoperative Critical Care Management
OpenAnesthesia · clinical summary · updated 2025
A structured postoperative overview of graft function, haemodynamics, immunosuppression and common complications.
Open resource →Liver Transplantation
LITFL Critical Care Compendium · updated 2024
A concise ICU revision page covering transplant technique and early postoperative problems.
Open resource →Liver Transplantation
Critical Care Reviews · curated review collection
A maintained collection of free reviews relevant to transplant critical care.
Open resource →Fundamentals of Liver Disease
AASLD LiverLearning · modular online course
A broad, self-paced hepatology course that includes decompensation and transplantation.
Open resource →