Technical implications of living donor liver transplantation: a single-center experience

Liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease is the treatment of choice in current surgical practice. However, the shortage of cadaveric organs has limited this treatment option for many years. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) may be an option to overcome the organ shortage. In the present series we report a single-center experience with 39 LDLT performed from March 2000 to June 2003. The main indications for LDLT was hepatitis B cirrhosis (11 patients). The recipient hepatectomy was performed with caval preservation. The hepatic vein anastomosis was performed either to recipient hepatic vein or inferior vena cava. The portal vein anastomosis was performed either to the recipient's main or right portal branch. Biliary diversion was performed to the recipient biliary ducts if possible, otherwise to a jejunal loop in Roux-en-Y fashion. The survival rate at the end of one year was 71%. The leading cause of mortality was sepsis in five patients. Biliary complications developed in 20% of the recipients. All bile leaks were from the Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Hepatic artery thrombosis was diagnosed in four patients by loss of hepatic blood flow on Doppler ultrasound. LDLT is a major surgical option for end-stage liver disease, particularly for countries with low rates of organ donation. However, there are technical challenges to be overcome such as small vessels from segmental grafts and multiple small bile ducts.