Donation after cardiac death and liver transplantation

This review discusses recent results and analyses on the use of donation after cardiac death (DCD) allografts in liver transplantation, including outcomes based on donor and recipient risk stratification, as well as associated postoperative complication rates.

Outcomes from the use of DCD donors can be improved with selective and appropriate donor-recipient pairings, although the optimum combination remains undetermined. Older DCD donors can be utilized, and arguments are presented for withdrawal of life support processes in the intensive care unit rather than in the operating room.

Increasing the donor pool for liver transplantation is required to prevent many of the deaths that occur while the patient is on the wait list. Under specific conditions, many studies report positive outcomes from of the use of DCD donors for liver transplantation.