Applicability of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation.
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.
Rimola
Antoni
A
Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. arimola@clinic.ub.es
Llovet
Josep M
JM
Navasa
Miquel
M
Bruix
Jordi
J
Londoño
María-Carlota
MC
Fuster
Josep
J
García-Valdecasas
Juan-Carlos
JC
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