Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society
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Review Meta Analysis
Molecular adsorbent recirculating system for acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure: a meta-analysis.
Molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is an important option for patients with liver failure to give them additional time for recovery or to serve as a "bridge" to transplantation. However, its effect on survival for such patients is not well known. Our aim was to assess the treatment effects of MARS on patients with acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure. ⋯ In conclusion, MARS treatment had no significant survival benefit on patients with liver failure when compared with standard medical therapy. However, we found only a few trials with a small number of patients for the analysis, allowing for the possibility of false negative and erroneous conclusions. Well-conducted randomized trials are strongly recommended to define the role of MARS in the treatment of patients with liver failure.