Paired Exchange Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Single Center Experience From Turkiye

In countries with low rates of deceased donor solid organ transplantations, live-donor liver transplantation is the preferred definitive treatment for children and adults with end-stage liver disease. However, it is known that a remarkable number of potential living liver donors are rejected due to ABO incompatibility, suboptimal liver mass, or anatomical features. Paired exchange liver transplantation (PELT) practice emerged to overcome these obstacles. Herein, we present the results of our single-center experience with PELT and compare them with previously reported data.

Patients who underwent PELT between January 2015 and December 2022 constituted the target population. The collected recipient data included demographic parameters, the model for end-stage liver disease score, graft-recipient weight ratio, indication for LT and paired exchange, body-mass index, duration of hospital stay, duration of intensive care unit stay, postoperative complications and inpatient mortality. Donor data, including demographic characteristics, body mass index, type of liver graft (right lobe or left lateral segment), graft weight (g), type of portal vein anatomy (Type 1, 2, or 3), type of biliary anatomy (Type 1, 2, 3a, 3b), duration of hospital stay, complications and mortality were retrieved.

Among 18 recipients, 14 (78%) were male, and 4 (22%) were female. The mean recipient age was 50.7 [2-66], while the mean donor age was 29.3 [18-40]. The mean follow-up period was 31.9 [12-71] months. The 1-year patient and graft survivals were calculated as 83.3% and 88.9%.

The PELT can be utterly feasible at transplant centers with remarkable LDLT experience.