title: Living donor liver transplantation for high model for end-stage liver disease score: What have we learned?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score on patient survival and morbidity post living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed on 80 adult patients who had LDLT from 2011-2013. Nine patients were excluded and 71 patients were divided into two groups; Group 1 included 38 patients with a MELD score < 20, and Group 2 included 33 patients with a MELD score > 20. Comparison between both groups was done regarding operative time, intra-operative blood requirement, intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, infection, and patient survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients died (15.5%); 3/38 (7.9%) patients in Group 1 and 8/33 (24.2%) in Group 2 with significant difference (P = 0.02). Mean operative time, duration of hospital stay, and ICU stay were similar in both groups. Mean volume of blood transfusion and cell saver re-transfusion were 8 ± 4 units and 1668 ± 202 mL, respectively, in Group 1 in comparison to 10 ± 6 units and 1910 ± 679 mL, respectively, in Group 2 with no significant difference (P = 0.09 and 0.167, respectively). The rates of infection and systemic complications (renal, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological complications) were similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A MELD score > 20 may predict mortality after LDLT.
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Hany
authors: H
authors: Dabbous
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Sakr
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Abdelhakam
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Iman
authors: I
authors: Montasser
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Mohamed
authors: M
authors: Bahaa
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Hany
authors: H
authors: Said
authors: Hany Dabbous, Mohammad Sakr, Sara Abdelhakam, Iman Montasser, Department of Tropical Medicine, Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11341, Egypt.
authors: Mahmoud
authors: M
authors: El-Meteini
keywords: Infection; Living donor liver transplantation; Model for end-stage liver disease score; Morbidity; Mortality