Toward current standards of donor right hepatectomy for adult-to-adult live donor liver transplantation through the experience of 200 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To define the current standards of donor right hepatectomy, including the middle hepatic vein for adult-to-adult live donor liver transplantation.


BACKGROUND
Donor morbidity and mortality are inevitable given the ultra-major nature of the donor operation. Results from a matured center could define the true impact of this donor procedure most accurately.


METHODS
From May 9, 1996 to April 13, 2005, 200 consecutive donors underwent donor right hepatectomy at the University of Hong Kong Medical Center. All right liver grafts except one included the middle hepatic vein. Donor characteristics, operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, laboratory results, and complications graded by Clavien's classification divided into four eras (each consecutive 50 cases) were compared.


RESULTS
Donor characteristics of the four eras were generally comparable. Operative outcomes improved progressively through the four eras. From era 1 to era 4, operation time decreased from 598 minutes (range, 378-932 minutes) to 391 minutes (range, 304-635 minutes). Blood loss also decreased from 500 mL (200-1600 mL) of era 1 to 251 mL (range, 95-595 mL) of era 4. Overall complication rate was 20.5% (41 of 200). Complications rates from eras 1 to 4 were 34%, 16%, 16%, and 16%, respectively. The most common complications were of grade I (24 of 41, 58.5%). A late donor death occurred in era 4 from the development of a duodenocaval fistula 10 weeks postoperation, giving a donor mortality of 0.5% (1 of 200).


CONCLUSIONS
This study validated the estimated morbidity and mortality of donor right hepatectomy of 20% and 0.5%, respectively. The data provide reference for counseling potential donors and setting the standards of donor right hepatectomy in the current era.
Chan
See Ching
SC
Centre for the Study of Liver Disease and Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
Fan
Sheung Tat
ST
Lo
Chung Mau
CM
Liu
Chi Leung
CL
Wong
John
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000592:standards