Pediatric living donor liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to analyze the results of living donor in a pediatric liver transplantation program.


METHODS
Twenty-six living donor liver transplantations were performed in children from 0.5 to 14.8 years of age. The main indication was biliary atresia (72%) followed by tumors (2 hepatoblastomas and 1 hepatocarcinoma). Left lateral segments were used in 23 (1 transformed into a monosegment), 1 left lobe was used in 1, and right lobes were used in 2. Arterial reconstruction employed saphenous venous grafts in the first 3 cases and end-to-end anastomoses with a microsurgical technique in the following 22 cases.


RESULTS
There has been no major morbidity in the donors, with a median hospitalization of 6 days. Four grafts have been lost; 2 in the first 3 cases. In only 1 case, the graft loss was related to the procedure saphenous venous graft thrombosis). Early biliary complications were frequent (23%). Six month, 1 year, and 5 year graft and patient survival rates were 91%, 85%, and 85% and 100%, 96%, and 96%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Living donor liver transplantation is an excellent option for transplantation in children.
López-Santamaria
M
M
Unit of Pediatric Liver Transplantation, Department of Pediatric Surgery, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. mlopez.hulp@salud.madrid.org
de Vicente
E
E
Gámez
M
M
Murcia
M
M
Leal
N
N
Hernandez
F
F
Nuño
J
J
Frauca
E
E
Camarena
C
C
Hierro
L
L
de la Vega
A
A
Bortolo
G
G
Diaz
M
M
Jara
P
P
Tovar
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D016896:Treatment Outcome