Pediatric liver transplant: a single-center study of 100 consecutive patients.
OBJECTIVE
Here, we present the outcomes of 100 consecutive pediatric liver transplant patients in our center.


METHODS
Five hundred fifteen adult and pediatric liver transplants were performed at Organ Transplantation Center, Sisli Memorial Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, between August 2006 and November 2012. Of these, the first 100 consecutive pediatric liver transplant patients were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
One hundred three liver transplants were performed in 100 children (mean age, 4.7 y; age range, 4.4 mo to 17.3 y; 53% female, 47% male; mean body weight, 17.2 kg; range, 4.5 to 75 kg). Biliary atresia (27%) and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (18%) were the most common causes of liver disease. Of all the cases, 88.4% were living-donor liver transplants. Arterial reconstruction was performed under an operating microscope in most cases. Duct-to-duct biliary anastomoses were preferred in anatomically favorable cases. Mean hospital stay was 17.5 days. Median follow-up was 19.9 months (range, 6 to 66.1 mo). The main complication after surgery was infection (34%). Postoperative technical complications included hepatic arterial thrombosis (3.9%), portal venous thrombosis (6.8%), and biliary leak (6.8%). One-, 3-, and 5-year patient survivals were 89.8%, 89.8%, and 83.8%. There were no serious postoperative complications in the living donors.


CONCLUSIONS
Living-donor liver transplant in pediatric patients is a safe alternative to deceased-donor transplant. It is becoming the most frequent treatment option for end-stage liver disease in pediatric patients in our center, given the paucity of pediatric deceased-donor organs.
Organ Transplantation Center, Şişli Memorial Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
Turan
T
Kanmaz
Yücel
Y
Yankol
Nesimi
N
Mecit
Ozlem
O
Durmaz
Koray
K
Acarli
Münci
M
Kalayoğlu
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007902:Length of Stay; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey