Hypophosphatemia after 95 right-lobe living-donor hepatectomies for liver transplantation is not a significant source of morbidity.
BACKGROUND
Hypophosphatemia appears to be a universal event after right hepatic lobectomy for live-donor adult liver transplantation according to one report. Because hypophosphatemia appears to contribute to increased postoperative complications, routine hyperalimentation with supratherapeutic levels of phosphorus was advocated.


METHODS
From July 2000 to May 2002, we performed 95 right-lobe living-donor hepatectomies for 95 adult liver-transplant recipients, the largest single institutional experience. We reviewed our data that were collected prospectively.


RESULTS
We did not find profound hypophosphatemia (<1.0 mg/dL) to be prevalent in our donors. At least six (6.3%) donors did not have postoperative hypophosphatemia. In addition, there appears to be no increased morbidity related to hypophosphatemia when aggressively corrected with intravenous or oral phosphates in our group of donors that underwent right-lobe hepatectomies.


CONCLUSIONS
We, therefore, cannot endorse the routine administration of hyperalimentation with supratherapeutic phosphorus because of its potential morbidity.
Tan
Henkie P
HP
Thomas E. Starzl Transplant Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. tanhp@upmc.edu.
Madeb
Ralph
R
Kovach
Stephen J
SJ
Orloff
Mark
M
Mieles
Luis
L
Johnson
Lesley A
LA
Bozorgzadeh
Adel
A
Marcos
Amadeo
A
D000328:Adult; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D017674:Hypophosphatemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008875:Middle Aged; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000097:blood; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D010758:Phosphorus