Safety evaluation of donors for living-donor liver transplantation in Chinese mainland:A single-center report

AIM:To discuss the safety of donors during living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and the authors’ experience with 50 cases. METHODS:Between January 1995 and March 2006,50 patients with end-stage liver disease received LDLT in our department. Donors (at the age of 27-58 years) were healthy and antibody (ABO)-compatible. The protocol of evaluation and selection of donors,choice of surgical methods and strategy applied in the safety evaluation of donors were analyzed. RESULTS:A total of 115 candidate donors were evaluated for LDLT at our center. Of these,50 underwent successful hepatectomy for living donation. The elimination rate for donors was 43.5%. Positive hepatitis serology and ABO incompatibility were the main factors for excluding candidates. All donors recovered uneventfully. The follow-up time ranged from 3 to 135 mo. The incidence of major and minor medical complications was 12.0% and 28.0%,respectively. CONCLUSION:LDLT provides an excellent approach to the problem of donor shortage in China. With a thorough and complete preoperative workup and meticulous intra-and postoperative management,LDLT can be performed with minimal donor morbidity.