title: Pediatric liver transplantation using left hepatic segments from living related donors: surgical experience in 100 recipients at Saint-Luc University Clinics.
abstract: Living-related liver transplantation was developed in the context of deceased donor organ shortage, which is particularly acute for pediatric recipients. This retrospective study analyzes the surgical technique and complications in the first 100 pediatric liver transplantation using left segmental liver grafts from living donors, performed at Saint-Luc University Clinics between July 1993 and April 2002. Pre-operative evaluation in donors and recipients, analysis of the surgical technique, and postoperative complications were reviewed. After a median follow-up period of 2526 days, no donor mortality was encountered, with a minimal morbidity and no long-term sequelae. At one and five yr post-transplantation, the actuarial patient survival rates were 94% and 92%, the corresponding figures being 92% and 89% for graft survival. The incidences of portal vein and hepatic artery thromboses, and of biliary complications were 14%, 1%, and 27%, respectively. Living-related liver transplantation in children constitutes an efficient therapy for liver failure to face the increased demand for liver grafts. Donor morbidity was kept to acceptable incidence, and surgical technique in the recipient needs to be tailored to minimize postoperative complications.
authors: Pediatric Liver Transplantation Program, Saint-Luc University Clinics, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors: Ahmed A
authors: AA
authors: Darwish
authors: Christophe
authors: C
authors: Bourdeaux
authors: Hesham A
authors: HA
authors: Kader
authors: Magda
authors: M
authors: Janssen
authors: Etienne
authors: E
authors: Sokal
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Lerut
authors: Olga
authors: O
authors: Ciccarelli
authors: Francis
authors: F
authors: Veyckemans
authors: Jean-Bernard
authors: JB
authors: Otte
authors: Jean de Ville
authors: Jde V
authors: de Goyet
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Reding