Review article: adult-to-adult right hepatic lobe living donor liver transplantation.
Spurred on by the critical shortage of cadaveric livers, adult-to-adult right hepatic lobe living donor liver transplantation has grown rapidly as a therapeutic option for selected patients. In the USA alone, the number of living donor liver transplantations has increased six-fold in the last 4 years. The therapy can be complex, bringing together a variety of disciplines, including transplantation medicine and surgery, hepatology, psychiatry and medical ethics. Moreover, living donor liver transplantation is still defining itself in the adult-to-adult application. Uniform standards, guidelines and long-term outcomes are yet to be determined. Nevertheless, initial success has been remarkable, and a basic understanding of this field is essential to any physician contemplating options for their liver failure patients. This review covers a range of topics, including recipient and donor selection and outcomes, donor risk, controversies and future issues.
Hayashi
P H
PH
Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA.
Trotter
J F
JF
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D019520:Living Donors; D018579:Patient Selection; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome