Evaluation of living donor liver transplantation: causes for exclusion

The decision to perform organ donation surgery involves a series of risks for the live donor including death. The aim of this study was to evaluate exclusion criteria for living donor liver transplantation, as well as to identify the rate of exclusion in each of the 3 process phases according to the Live Donor Evaluation Protocol for adult and child recipients. From December 2001 to December 2007, we evaluated 223 donors among whom 142 were excluded in various phases. The data were statistically evaluated. Among the 142 excluded donors, 113 (79.6%) had an adult recipient. The elimination rates for adult recipients were as follows: 68 cases in phase I, 41 cases in phase II, and 4 cases in phase III. Concerning child recipients, 29 (20.4%) donors were excluded: 17 in phase I, and 12 in phase II. Concerning adult recipients, sons and daughters were the largest part of the excluded donors, with withdrawal as the principal reason for exclusion followed by recipient death. Regarding child recipients the parents represented the largest number of excluded donors due to withdrawal followed by abnormal blood test results. Thus, 36.5% of potential donors were effective donors.