Expanding donor age in liver transplantation using liver grafts from nonagenarian donors

Satisfactory outcomes in a series of liver transplantations (LT) with octogenarian liver grafts have been reported, as well as several cases of LT using nonagenarian liver grafts with short follow-up.

From October 2013 to December 2019, we performed 426 LT. Six LTs used nonagenarian livers (case group) and 49 used octogenarian livers (control group). A comparative analysis was performed between groups. Median donor age was significantly higher in the nonagenarian group than in the octogenarian group (90.6 years versus 83.4 years; (P < .001). There was a significant difference in LT indications (P = .026) between the groups, but not in perioperative recipient variables, morbidity, or mortality. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year patient survival rates were 67.7% in the recipients of nonagenarian livers and 85.7%, 78.0%, and 74.4%, respectively, in the recipients of octogenarian livers (P = .631). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year graft survival rates were 66.7% in the recipients of nonagenarian livers and 81.3%, 73.8%, and 70.3%, respectively, in the recipients of octogenarian livers (P = .745).

The results of LT with nonagenarian liver grafts are not significantly different from those obtained with octogenarian donors, taking into consideration the small sample size and careful selection of donors and adequate donor-recipient matching.