title: Donor age does not influence 12-month outcome after orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease to date. The discrepancy between the numbers of donor livers and recipients has become a significant problem, resulting in a high patient mortality on the waiting list. Due to this, an expansion of the donor pool is necessary, for example, by accepting donor grafts from elderly donors. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome after OLT depending on donor age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of 272 full-size cadaveric initial single OLTs within 12 months after OLT. The outcome was analyzed by dividing the collective into four donor age categories: donor age under 50, between 50 and 59, between 60 and 69, and 70 years or above. The outcome after OLT in these patients was retrospectively reviewed by using a prospective database. Patients positive for hepatitis C were excluded from the analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No increase of initial nonfunction was observed. Furthermore, no significant differences with regard to surgical complications and serum liver parameter were observed between the groups. Neither patient mortality rates nor rejection rates were different between the groups. However, ischemic-type biliary lesion rates increased significantly with donor age over 70 years (P<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The acceptance of liver grafts from older donors is a possible alternative to narrow the gap between donated and required organs. Safe use under optimal protocols is necessary to avoid a deterioration of post-OLT results.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Charité, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany. wladimir.faber@charite.de
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Faber
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Seehofer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puhl
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guckelberger
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D046148:Donor Selection; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005858:Germany; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult