Systemic and splanchnic hemodynamic parameters were evaluated in 12 patients with cirrhosis before and 3 and 6 months after liver transplantation. Results were compared with those obtained in 8 healthy subjects. Three months after liver transplantation recipients had an increase in mean arterial pressure (98 ؎ 7 v 78 ؎ 9 mmHg; P F .05), an insignificant decrease in cardiac index (3.4 ؎ 0.6 v 4.0 ؎ 1.0 L • min ؊1 • m ؊2 ), and a marked increase in peripheral vascular resistance (1,563 ؎ 308 v 800 ؎ 205 dyne • s • cm ؊5 ; P F .05) compared with pretransplantation values. Portal blood flow was also significantly increased (1,494 ؎ 200 v 829 ؎ 130 mL/min; P F .05). These hemodynamic changes were more pronounced 6 months after transplantation (mean arterial pressure, 100 ؎ 8 mmHg; cardiac index, 3.0 ؎ 1.0 L • min ؊1 • m ؊2 ; P F .01; peripheral vascular resis-tance, 1,680 ؎ 405 dyne • s • cm ؊5
; portal blood flow, 1,520 ؎ 180 mL/min). Systemic hemodynamics 6 months after liver transplantation were similar to those observed in the healthy control group (mean arterial pressure, 95 ؎ 6 mmHg; cardiac index, 2.9 ؎ 0.9 L • min ؊1 • m ؊2 ; peripheral vascular resistance, 1,480 ؎ 380 dyne • s • cm ؊5 ). However, portal blood flow was still significantly higher than in healthy controls at 6 months (1,520 ؎ 180 v 910 ؎ 140 mL/min; P F .05). This study shows that systemic hemodynamics are normalized after liver transplantation. However, an increase in portal blood flow occurs and persists for at least 6 months after liver transplantation. Further studies are needed to clarify the cause of the abnormally high portal flows.