Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Pure Laparoscopic Donor Hepatectomy in Pediatric Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy for transplantation has been well established over the past decade. This study aimed to assess its safety and feasibility in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) by comparing the surgical and long-term survival outcomes on both the donor and recipient sides between open and laparoscopic groups. The medical records of 100 patients (<= 17 years old) who underwent ABO-compatible LDLT using a left lateral liver graft between May 2008 and June 2016 were analyzed. A total of 31 donors who underwent pure laparoscopic hepatectomy and their corresponding recipients were included in the study; 69 patients who underwent open living donor hepatectomy during the same period were included as a comparison group. To overcome bias from the different distributions of covariables among the patients in the 2 study groups, a 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was performed. The mean follow-up periods were 92.9 and 92.7 months in the open and laparoscopic groups, respectively. The mean postoperative hospital stay of the donors was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group (8.1 days) than in the open group (10.6 days; P < 0.001). Overall, the surgical complications in the donors and overall survival rate of recipients did not differ between the groups. Our data suggest that the laparoscopic environment was not associated with long-term graft survival during pediatric LDLT. In addition, the laparoscopic approach for the donors did not adversely affect the corresponding recipient's outcome. Laparoscopic left lateral sectionectomy for living donors is a safe, feasible, and reproducible procedure for pediatric liver transplantation

Single-Center Experience of Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Patients With Secondary Biliary Cirrhosis

Background. Secondary biliary cirrhosis (SBC) represents a unique form of cirrhosis that develops in the liver secondary to persistent biliary obstruction. This study aimed to review the living donor liver transplants (LDLTs) performed at our center for patients with SBC and end-stage liver disease and to share the perioperative strategies undertaken to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Methods. The medical records of 29 patients who underwent LDLT for SBC between December 1994 and July 2018 at the Asan Medical Center (Seoul, South Korea) were retrospectively reviewed. Their clinical data were extracted and statistically analyzed. Survival curves were computed. Results. The perioperative and in-hospital morbidity rates were 72.4% and 10.3%, respectively. The overall mean recipient follow-up was 80.0 (SD, 66.4) months (range, 0.8-246.8 months). Patient survival rates after 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after transplant were 82.8%, 79.3%, 79.3%, and 79.3%, respectively. For liver grafts, the survival rates were 82.8%, 75.8%, 75.8%, and 75.8% at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Conclusions. LDLT is potentially a final lifesaving resort for patients with SBC with portal hypertension. However, considering the difficulty of surgery and perioperative management, LDLT should be performed by experienced transplant surgeons in a center where a multidisciplinary approach is possible