Identification of Early Clinical and Histological Factors Predictive of Kasai Portoenterostomy Failure

Background: It is impossible to predict which patients with biliary atresia (BA) will fail after Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE). We evaluated the predictive nature of pre-KPE clinical and histological factors on transplant-free survival (TFS) and jaundice clearance. Methods: A retrospective review of patients who received a KPE at our institution (1997–2018) was performed. Primary outcomes were two-year TFS, five-year TFS, and jaundice clearance 3 months after KPE. p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Fifty-four patients were included in this study. The two-year TFS was 35.1%, five-year TFS was 24.5%, and 37% patients reached a direct bilirubin (DB) ≤ 2.0 mg/dL 3 months post KPE. The median age at biopsy was younger in the five-year TFS (39.0 (24.5–55.5) vs. 56.0 days (51.0–67.0), p = 0.011). Patients with DB ≤ 1.0 mg/dL 3 months after KPE were statistically younger at biopsy (DB ≤ 1.0 44.0 (26.0–56.0) vs. DB > 1.0 56.0 days (51.0–69.0), p = 0.016). Ductal plate malformation was less frequent in the five-year TFS (16/17, 94.1%, vs. 1/17, 5.9%, p = 0.037). Portal fibrosis (19/23, 82.6%, vs. 4/23, 17.4%, p = 0.028) and acute cholangitis (6/7, 85.7%, vs. 1/7, 14.3%, p = 0.047) occurred less frequently in two-year TFS. Conclusion: Older age at biopsy, acute cholangitis, portal fibrosis, and ductal plate malformation were associated with lower native liver survival. Evaluation in a larger study population is needed to validate these results.