Auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation for acute liver failure

INTRODUCTION Auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) in acute liver failure acts as a bridge to native liver regeneration with potential for immunosuppression free survival. While technical concerns limit its universal acceptance, the indications in acute liver failure also need to be examined for this procedure to ultimately succeed. CASE HISTORY We present the case of an eight-month-old girl with cryptogenic acute liver failure who underwent APOLT. She developed postoperative liver dysfunction, most likely owing to the persistence of the diseased native liver, ultimately leading to an orthotopic retransplantation. She remains well on follow-up review. CONCLUSIONS A tempered approach to selecting patients for APOLT (especially with regard to aetiology of acute liver failure) makes it a safe and effective alternative to orthotopic liver transplantation.