Liver transplantation utilizing old donor organs: a German single-center experience

Area of Science:

• Transplantation immunology
• Organ transplantation outcomes
• Geriatric donor criteria

Background:

• Increasing organ donor shortages necessitate the use of marginal organs.
• Donor age >65 years is a criterion for marginal organ acceptance.
• This study evaluates the impact of donor age on transplant outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of using older donor organs (>65 years) on liver transplant recipient and graft survival.
• To determine if advanced donor age affects post-transplant outcomes.
• To provide data supporting the use of marginal organs in liver transplantation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 230 liver transplantations performed between 2004 and present.
• Analysis included 54 cases utilizing donor organs from individuals aged >65 years.
• Recipient and graft survival rates were compared between older and younger donor groups.

Main Results:

• Overall 1-year mortality was 22.2% for recipients of older donor organs vs. 19.5% for younger donors.
• 1-year mortality varied with age groups: 30% (65-69 yrs), 29.4% (70-74 yrs), and 5.9% (>75 yrs).
• No significant correlation found between mortality and additional marginal donor criteria.

Conclusions:

• Organs from older donors (>65 years) can be transplanted with acceptable outcomes.
• This finding aligns with existing literature on marginal organ utilization.
• Careful consideration is recommended for older donor organs in hepatitis C-related cirrhosis patients.