Improved results for adult split liver transplantation with extended right lobe grafts: could we enhance its application?
OBJECTIVE
Split liver transplantation (SLT) allows grafting of 2 recipients with 1 allograft. Results of adult SLT have improved since its first introduction. Children benefit most from SLT, while among some adult liver transplanters there are concerns about splitting a liver, turning a good quality graft into a marginal one. We performed a single center retrospective review to address this issue.


METHODS
Between June 2001 and August 2008, we performed 22 extended right liver graft (eRLG) transplantations in 21 adult patients.


RESULTS
Eleven donors (50%) did not meet the Eurotransplant criteria for optimal donors. Forty-one percent of eRLG donors showed hemodynamic instability at the time of harvest. Eighteen (82%) splitting procedures were performed ex situ. The main indications for transplantation were alcoholic liver cirrhosis (32%), hepatitis C-related cirrhosis (18%), and acute liver failure (18%). Mean recipient age was 54 years (range, 17-69 years); median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was 15 (range, 7-40). Patients were followed for a median of 16 months (range, 4-92 months) following transplantation. We observed 5 (23%) vascular and 3 (14%) biliary complications. Overall patient survival was 84% at 3 years; overall graft survival was 79%. For the 11 patients who had undergone transplantation after 2007, we observed a 100% patient and graft survival.


CONCLUSIONS
After an initial learning curve and provided careful selection, exceptions to classical donor criteria for splitting can be accepted with successful outcomes comparable to those after whole liver transplantation.
Department of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Liver Transplantation Service, Ghent University Hospital and Medical School, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
E L
EL
Decoster
R
R
Troisi
M
M
Sainz-Barriga
I
I
Haentjens
L
L
Colenbie
A
A
Geerts
I
I
Colle
H
H
Van Vlierberghe
B
B
de Hemptinne
X
X
Rogiers
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000601:surgery; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D017741:Survivors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous