Living-donor liver transplantation at UCLA.
BACKGROUND
Living-donor (LD) liver transplantation has been developed as an alternative to overcome the shortage of cadaver donor organs for pediatric recipients.


METHODS
We reviewed our experience with 9 LD transplants performed between August 25, 1993 and August 3, 1994. The median recipient age and weight were 13 months and 10 kilograms. Left lateral segments from parental donors, with aortic inflow via saphenous vein grafts, were used in all cases.


RESULTS
At a median follow-up of 160 days, all donors were alive and well. Recipient and graft survival were both 89%. Rates of hepatic artery thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis, biliary complications, and acute rejection were 22%, 11%, 11%, and 67%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Excellent outcome can be achieved with LD liver transplantation in small children with minimal donor risk. This procedure has the potential to emerge as the preferred treatment for pediatric liver transplant candidates for whom it is an option.
Jurim
O
O
Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine 90024-1749, USA.
Shackleton
C R
CR
McDiarmid
S V
SV
Martin
P
P
Shaked
A
A
Millis
J M
JM
Imagawa
D K
DK
Olthoff
K M
KM
Maxfield
A
A
Pakrasi
A L
AL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D006085:Graft Survival; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016853:Muromonab-CD3 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011182:Postoperative Care; D012086:Reoperation; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016853:Muromonab-CD3; D016559:Tacrolimus