title: Pediatric living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pediatric Liver Transplantation, Department of Pediatric Surgery, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain. mlopez.hulp@salud.madrid.org
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Santamaria
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Vicente
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gámez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murcia
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nuño
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frauca
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camarena
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hierro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Vega
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bortolo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jara
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tovar
mesh_terms: 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