title: Changes in the caudate lobe that is transplanted with extended left lobe liver graft from living donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Caudate lobe transplantation with an extended left lobe graft is an innovative and promising method for increasing the graft volume in living donor liver transplantation. However, little is known about the fate of the caudate lobe after transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight extended left lobe grafts with the caudate lobe were included in this study. No attempt was made to reconstruct the short hepatic veins. On the basis of the computed tomography scans that were obtained before the operation and 1 month after the transplantation, the increase in the graft volume by the addition of the caudate lobe and the changes in the transplanted caudate lobe were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The addition of the caudate lobe increased the graft volume by 25 +/- 2 g, corresponding to a 2% increase in graft volume/standard liver volume ratio. One month after the transplantation, the caudate lobe volume increased in all patients but 1. The regeneration rate of the caudate lobe and other segments (segments II-IV) 1 month after transplantation was 62% +/- 24% (24 +/- 4 mL- 37 +/- 4 mL) and 152% +/- 35% (374 +/- 45 mL-930 +/- 65 mL), respectively (P <.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique affords a modest increase in liver volume with living donor left liver procurement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishizaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakizoe
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nomoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiroshige
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000379:methods* / Q000473:pathology; D019520:Living Donors; D009929:Organ Size; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed