Living Donor Liver Transplantation Relatively Safe

A new study shows that right liver lobe donor hepatectomy can be performed with minimal complication rates, increasing the potential donor pool dramatically.

Researchers at Afyon Kocatepe University (AKU; Afyon, Turkey), Ege University (Izmir, Turkey), and International Kent Hospital (Izmir, Turkey) conducted a study to determine the rate of complications associated with surgery in 272 living donors (57.4% male) who underwent right lobe donor hepatectomy between September 2004 and December 2009, after passing an elimination system. Demographic data, intraoperative findings, and complication rates were collected retrospectively. Donor complications were categorized according to the Clavien classification.

The results showed that there was no donor mortality. Grade 1 and 2 complications were observed in 105 (38%) of the donors, with the most common complications being fever of unknown origin and prolonged hyperbilirubinemia. Grade 3 and grade 4 complications were observed in 6 donors (2%) and 3 donors (1%), respectively. Three donors underwent re-operation due to bleeding, with a re-laparatomy rate of 1.10%. One donor—categorized as grade 4B—suffered a small bowel perforation and intra-abdominal sepsis secondary to mechanical bowel obstruction. The study was published in the June 2014 issue of Transplantation Proceedings.

“Living donor liver transplantation has been a new light of hope for patients with end-stage liver failure on the cadaveric waiting list,” concluded lead author Mustafa Ozsoy, MD, and colleagues. “Right liver lobe donor hepatectomy can be performed successfully with minimal complication rates with multidisciplinary and rigorous donor care in the preoperative and postoperative period.”

Traditionally, organs for liver transplant are obtained from deceased donors; unfortunately, there are not enough deceased donor organs available for today's growing list of people who are waiting for one. In a live donor liver transplant, one lobe is removed and transplanted immediately after the recipient's liver has been entirely removed. Live donor liver transplantation is possible because the liver, unlike any other organ in the body, has the ability to regenerate, usually within a period of 4 to 8 weeks after surgery.

Related Links:
Afyon Kocatepe University
Ege University
International Kent Hospital