Tracheostomy after living donor liver transplantation: the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic significance.

Postoperative pneumonia, hepatic artery thrombosis (hepatic artery thrombosis), and small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) were identified as independent risk factors.

A multivariate analysis revealed that total bilirubin on postoperative day 7 and tracheostomy timing were independent prognostic factors, with hyperbilirubinemia and delayed tracheostomy associated with increased mortality.