Adult-to-adult living related liver transplantation: initial experience

The number of adult patients on the liver transplantation waiting lists is growing steadily. Adult Living related liver transplantation (LRLT) represents the ultimate m eans to expand the donor pool. The success of this model of "small for size" grafting relies on strict don or and recipient selection. The choice of the graft (2 left and 4 right hep atectomies) was made on the minimal ratio between estimated graft and recip ient body weights (0.8-1%), necessary to meet the recipient's metabolic dem ands. Our experience with six adults Is reported. Donor morbidity was minimal ton e wound infection); there was no mortality. Four (66%) recipients are doing well, two died of infectious complications. All recipients had a complicat ed post-transplant course. Due to its complexity, both in donor and recipient, LRLT should only be dev eloped very carefully in experienced Liver transplant centers.