Living-donor liver transplantation in Kyoto, 1997

Although a new law allowing for organ retrieval from brain-dead donors was recently put into force, living donors remain the major source for liver transplantation in Japan. The number of LDLT cases in Kyoto University has increased yearly, reaching 336 transplantations in 329 patients in November 1997. Because the program has expanded without support from cadaveric organ sources, we have been confronted with difficulties with graft size mismatches, major ABO blood group incompatibilities and highly deteriorated emergency cases. Despite innovations in surgical techniques which have reduced vascular complications, and several immunomodulations to mitigate complications of mismatched blood groups, graft survival in these cases remains approximately 20% lower than that for less complicated transplants. This report summarizes our recent struggles with these problems and some of our solutions.