title: Applicability of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The applicability of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation has not been established yet. We report the first data in a European center of the process leading to this procedure from the first moment the patients were informed about it.
  
  
  METHODS
  In phase 1 of the process, 121 adult patients enlisted for cadaveric liver transplantation and their relatives were informed of the technical aspects, advantages and risks of living donor liver transplantation, and the essential criteria for living donation. In phase 2, potential donors identified in phase 1 were evaluated in depth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one (17%) patients underwent living donor liver transplantation. This procedure was not performed in 60 patients (50%) for reasons concerning the patients themselves, especially their refusal to receive living donor liver transplantation from a relative (30%). Forty patients (33%) did not undergo living donor liver transplantation for reasons concerning potential donors: donors were not identified (14%), declined the donation (13%), or were refused for technical reasons (6%). The expected waiting time to transplantation was longer in patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation than in those who did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The applicability of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation is low, mainly because of reasons related to potential recipients.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. arimola@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rimola
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Llovet
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Navasa
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bruix
authors.forename: María-Carlota
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Londoño
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.forename: Juan-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: García-Valdecasas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014850:Waiting Lists