Video-assisted living donor hemihepatectomy through a 12-cm incision for adult-to-adult liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
There has been remarkable progress in recent technical innovations for laparoscopic hepatectomy. However, a laparoscopic procedure rarely has been indicated for donation of the liver in living-related liver transplantation (LRLT). Here, we described the technique and the outcome of video-assisted donor hepatectomy (VADH) for adult-to-adult LRLT.


METHODS
For 13 donors in adult-to-adult LRLT, 3 types of major hepatectomy--right hemihepatectomy (3), and left hemihepatectomy, with or without the caudate lobe (10)--were performed through video-assisted procedures; surgical manipulation via ports or via a 12-cm incision and viewing through a laparoscope or through incision were combined and used.


RESULTS
VADH was completed in 13 donors, with a median operation time of 363 +/- 33 minutes and a median blood loss of 302 +/- 191 mL. No complications specific to video-assisted procedures, postoperative bile leak, or bleeding were observed. The restoration of the liver function was smooth, and the use of an analgesic (median: 1.2 times) was reduced, compared with the historical control (median: 3.8 times) that underwent a standard donation of the liver. Currently, all donors are healthy and have returned to their previous activities. The grafts have been functioning well, excluding 3 recipients who succumbed to serious complications unrelated to the video-assisted procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
We have shown a new method of VADH through a 12-cm laparotomy for adult-to-adult LRLT. This technique is as feasible as standard open donor hepatectomy, with less pain and with improved postoperative symptoms.
Kurosaki
Isao
I
Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Japan. ikuro@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
Yamamoto
Satoshi
S
Kitami
Chie
C
Yokoyama
Naoyuki
N
Nakatsuka
Hideki
H
Kobayashi
Takashi
T
Watanabe
Takaoki
T
Oya
Hiroshi
H
Sato
Yoshinobu
Y
Hatakeyama
Katsuyoshi
K
D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery / Q000379:methods*