From living related to in-situ split liver transplantation: How to reduce waiting-list mortality

The insufficient number of suitable cadaveric organs for pediatric recipien ts is the cause of high pretransplant mortality rates and long waiting time s. With the introduction of split and living related liver transplantation, the waiting list mortality rate has dropped from greater than 15% to less than 5% and children are transplanted more rapidly. A 5-year patient and gr aft survival rate of greater than 80% has been obtained in those centers wh ere split and living related liver transplantations are routinely performed . The data analyzed in this paper show that the only current solution to ca daveric organ shortage is a 'multimodal' approach. where whole liver cadave ric transplantation is associated with split and living related liver trans plantation.