Pediatric Liver Transplantation: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Pediatric Surgery
• Transplantation Immunology

Background:

• Liver transplantation (LT) offers life-saving treatment for pediatric end-stage liver disease.
• Significant advancements in pediatric LT have been observed in mainland China.
• This study describes the current status of pediatric LT at our center.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation at our center.
• To analyze recipient and donor characteristics, surgical procedures, and complications.
• To evaluate survival rates and identify factors influencing mortality.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 116 pediatric LT recipients from July 2019 to July 2023.
• Analysis of recipient/donor demographics, preoperative data, intraoperative details, and post-transplant complications.
• Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with log-rank testing.

Main Results:

• 116 pediatric LTs performed: 57 living donor (LDLT), 57 split liver (SLT), 2 whole liver (WLT).
• 1- and 3-year overall survival rates were 93.1% and 92.2%, respectively.
• Vascular (6.03%) and biliary (2.59%) complications were noted; mortality causes included infection and PTLD.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric LT in China demonstrates substantial progress with outcomes comparable to international standards.
• Split liver transplantation from deceased brain death donors showed survival rates similar to LDLT.
• Further research into postoperative management and immunosuppression strategies is needed to enhance survival.