Late-onset abnormal elevation of transaminase after hepatectomy indicates high risk of death

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of late- onset abnormal elevation of transaminase after hepatectomy. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 15 patients with abnormal elevation of transaminase after partial hepatectomy, who were admitted to our center from March 2009 to March 2012. The clinical implication of different types of late- onset elevation of transaminase was analyzed. Comparison between groups was made by t test or chi- square test. Results There were two different populations with abnormal elevation of transaminase after operation. There were differences in time of postoperative transaminase elevation, duration of transaminase elevation, and peak level of transaminase between survival cases and death cases. Conclusion Abnormal elevation of transaminase after hepatectomy is not commonly seen in clinical practice. The patients with late- onset elevation of transaminase at 3- 5 d after operation have poor prognosis, which should be given enough attention.