Successful Liver Transplantation From a Donor With a Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device for 9 Months

Organ donor criteria continue to be extended in an attempt to meet growing demands. Patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices are one group of potential donors being considered. One concern with this group is the effect of continuous flow for a prolonged duration, as opposed to normal pulsatile flow, on end-organ function. We report the 1st case of a liver transplantation from a donor who had a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device for 9 months. The recipient was a 69-year-old woman with a history of cryptogenic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The transplantation was complicated by moderate acute cellular rejection as well as biliary obstruction requiring sphincterotomy and stent placement. After management of those complications, the patient's liver function tests returned to normal values and remained stable at her 6-month post-transplantation follow-up. This case shows that organ transplantation from a donor with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device for a prolonged period can be performed successfully.