Live donor adult liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Because the gap between liver organ supply and demand continues to increase, adult living-donor liver transplantation continues to represent a significant pool of organs.


RESULTS
With this in mind, we discuss recent issues in adult living-donor liver transplantation, including issues with donor evaluation and selection, donor liver biopsy, orphan organ allocation, donor morbidity and mortality, outcomes compared with deceased donor liver transplant from time of evaluation, death on the waiting list, and evolving recipient indications for living-donor liver transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing the number of living-donor liver transplants would allow us to expedite transplant, avoid death on the waitlist, and possibly save more lives by expanding the criteria for transplant. These benefits must always be weighed against the potential risks and complications to the donor, which can be significant.
Yeh
Heidi
H
Division of Transplantation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Olthoff
Kim M
KM
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome