Living related liver transplantation in Oklahoma

Living related liver transplantation (LRLT) presents several advantages as compared to cadaveric liver transplantation, and it has become an increasingly popular option for children with end-stage liver diseases. Since 1995, five LRLT procedures have been performed at the authors' facility. Recipients were three boys and two girls, whose mean age was 2.6 years. Recipients' primary diagnoses were primary hyperoxaluria (PH) (n = 3), Alagille's syndrome (n = 1), and Byler's disease (n = 1). Left lateral segments harvested from their parents were used as the liver grafts on all patients. The donors included three mothers and two fathers, with a mean age of 29 years. Tacrolimus with steroids was used as immunosuppressive therapy. In all cases (mean follow-up time of 11 months), graft function was excellent and four children are doing very well. One boy died of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) 7 months after LRLT. All donors are doing very well with no postoperative complications. The authors believe that LRLT is a safe procedure for both the donor and the recipient, and provides, in children, an excellent alternative to cadaveric liver transplantation.