Right hemiliver transplants from cadavers or living donors: a comparative analysis

The aim of this article was to compare the results of right hemiliver transplants from living versus cadaver donors in a single institution.

Between March 1999 and May 2003, we performed 10 right hemiliver transplants from living donors (LD) and 8 right hemiliver transplants from cadavers (CD). The procedure consisted of grafting liver segments 5, 6, 7, and 8. The procedure was performed with a fully perfused liver also in the CD group (in situ split).

With follow-up between 7 days and 26 months in the LD group, 2 patients died with functioning grafts: 1 patient died because of massive pulmonary bleeding due to Rendu-Osler Syndrome; the other one died as a consequence of systemic aspergillosis. One patient underwent retransplantation due to arterial thrombosis. In the CD group with a follow-up between 31 days and 48 months, 3 patients died due to sepsis, including 2 who were status 2A. There were 4 early complications among the LD group and 5 in the CD group. The patient and graft survival rates were 80% and 70%, respectively, in the LD group; and both about 62% in the CD group.

Right hemiliver grafts are at high risk due to technical and septic complications. A higher morbidity is observed in the CD group, where the vascular and biliary tree anatomy cannot be investigated with accuracy. We must avoid transplanting status 2A recipients with this kind of graft.