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Analysis of right lobe living-liver donor complications: a single center experience
Onur Yaprak1, Murat Dayangac, B Tolga Demirbas
1Florence Nightingale Hospital, Hepato-Biliary and Organ Transplant Center, Istanbul, Turkey. onuryaprak@hotmail.com
Insights
Living-donor liver transplant offers a vital organ source. Right lobe donor hepatectomy in 181 donors showed a 40.3% complication rate, with no mortality, emphasizing safety in this liver transplant procedure.
Area of Science:
- Hepatobiliary Surgery
- Transplant Surgery
- Surgical Outcomes Research
Background:
- Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a critical alternative for end-stage liver disease.
- Right lobe donor hepatectomy is a common procedure in LDLT.
- Understanding donor morbidity is essential for patient safety and procedure optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine and classify donor morbidities following right lobe hepatectomy.
- To assess the safety profile of living liver donation.
- To provide data for improving donor care protocols.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 181 right lobe donor hepatectomies performed between 2004 and 2009.
- Complications were classified using the Clavien classification system.
- Donor demographics and follow-up data were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Overall complication rate was 40.3% in 73 out of 181 donors.
- Wound infection (7.7%) and biliary complications (4.4%) were the most frequent.
- No postoperative mortality or Grade 4 complications occurred; reoperation rate was 1.6%.
Conclusions:
- Right lobe donor hepatectomy is associated with manageable morbidity in healthy living donors.
- The primary goal is to ensure zero donor mortality and minimize complications.
- LDLT remains a safe and effective option for patients needing liver transplants.
Objectives:
Living-donor liver transplant provides an alternative source of organ to patients with end-stage liver disease. This study sought to determine and classify the donor morbidities after right lobe donor hepatectomy in a single center.
Materials And Methods:
One hundred eighty-one right lobe living-donor hepatectomy were performed in our center between January 2004 and December 2009. Of the 181 donors, 104 donors were men and 77 donors were women. Mean age of the donors was 38 years (range, 18-63 years). The mean follow-up was 33.3 months (range, 3-66 months). Complications after the operation were stratified according to the Clavien classification.
Results:
Eighty-one complications occurred in 73 of the 181 donors (40.3%). The most common complication was wound infection, which was seen in 14 of 181 donors (7.7%). Biliary complications were seen in 4.4% of donors. There was no postoperative mortality. Also, grade 4 complications, which are life-threatening, did not occur. Blood transfusion were not required during the operation. The incidence of reoperation was 1.6% in all donors.
Conclusions:
Living-donor liver transplant ensures a new graft to patients with end-stage liver disease. Donor morbidity is one of the realities of the donor hepatectomy procedure. Because the donors are healthy individuals, the aim of the process must be to eliminate the donor mortality while decreasing the complication rates.
