Donor safety in adult living donor liver transplantation using the right lobe: single center experience in China.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety of donors in adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using the right lobe in a single liver transplantation center in China.


METHODS
We investigated retrospectively 52 living donor liver resections performed from October 2003 to July 2006. All patients were evaluated by blood tests and abdominal CT. The mean donor age was 28.2 +/- 7.4 years. Residual liver volume was 42.1% +/- 4.7%. Mean operative time was 420 +/- 76.2 min; mean ICU stay, less than 36 h; mean hospital stay, 16.4 +/- 8.6 d; and mean follow-up period, 6 mo.


RESULTS
There was no mortality. The overall complication rate was 40% (21 donors). Major complications included biliary leak in two, and pneumonia in 2 donors. Minor complications included mild pleural effusion in 12 donors, transient ascites in 6, mild depression in 4, intra-abdominal collections in 2, and wound infections in 1 donor. Residual liver volume did not affect the complication rate. None required re-operation. Return to pre-donation activity occurred within 5-8 wk.


CONCLUSIONS
Right hemi-hepatectomy can be performed safely with minimal risk in cases of careful donor selection. Major complications occurred in only 7.7% of our series.
Li
Fu-Gui
FG
The Center of Liver Transplantation, the Second Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. lfg1616@163.com
Yan
Lu-Nan
LN
Zeng
Yong
Y
Yang
Jia-Yin
JY
Lin
Qi-Yuan
QY
Jiang
Xiao-Zhong
XZ
Liu
Bin
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019520:Living Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase