Right lobe living donor liver transplantation.
BACKGROUND
The shortage of livers for transplantation has prompted transplant centers to seek alternatives to conventional cadaveric liver transplantation. Left lateral segmentectomy from living donors has proven to be a safe operation for the donor with excellent results in the pediatric population. Left lobectomy, conceived to supply more tissue, still provides insufficient liver mass for an average size adult patient. Right lobectomy could supply a graft of adequate size.


METHODS
Donors were considered only after recipients were listed according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) criteria. Donor evaluation included liver biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging, and celiac and mesenteric angiography. The donor operation consisted of a right lobectomy uniformly performed throughout the series as described herein.


RESULTS
Twenty-five right lobe living donor liver transplants were performed between adults, with no significant complications in donors. Recipient and graft survival was 88%, with three recipient deaths secondary to uncontrolled sepsis in patients at high risk for liver transplant; all three had functioning grafts.


CONCLUSIONS
Right lobe living donor liver transplantation poses challenges that require a meticulous surgical technique to minimize morbidity in the recipient. Right lobectomies for living donation can be performed safely with minimal risk to both donor and recipient although providing adequate liver mass for an average size adult patient.
Marcos
A
A
Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23219, USA.
Fisher
R A
RA
Ham
J M
JM
Shiffman
M L
ML
Sanyal
A J
AJ
Luketic
V A
VA
Sterling
R K
RK
Posner
M P
MP
D000328:Adult; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D008099:Liver; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D008875:Middle Aged; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000209:etiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000209:etiology