title: Donor age in living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to elucidate the influence of donor age in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using either left lobe (LL) or right lobe (RL) grafts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recipients (n = 232) were categorized as: group O/LL (LL, donor age >50, n = 20); group Y/LL (LL, donor age < or =50, n = 140); Group O/RL (RL, donor age >50, n = 12); and group Y/RL (RL, donor age < or =50, n = 61). We compared post-LDLT graft functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among LL LDLT, the incidence of small-for-size syndrome was significantly greater for group O/LL compared with group Y/LL (60.0% vs 16.3%, P < .01). However, the cumulative 5-year graft survivals were 73.8% in group O and 76.7% in group Y without substantial difference. In RL LDLT, the post-LDLT morbidity and mortality were similar for group O/RL and group Y/RL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Partial liver grafts, even though LL grafts, from older donors can be used safely with caution in LDLT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. tikesurg@yahoo.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ikegami
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Soejima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshizumi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019520:Living Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods