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Living donor LT appears to be safe in Chinese recipients

In a retrospective study, researchers found living donor liver transplant to be safe among Chinese recipients, with some donors experiencing only minimal complications, according to data published in PLoS ONE.

“In spite of all the benefits, the safety of living donor remains controversial,” the researchers wrote. “Since the adoption of the right lobe liver for [living donor liver transplant], concerns about a perfectly healthy donor receiving a major hepatectomy have emerged; though the risk is low, but almost definite.”

To evaluate postoperative living donor liver transplant complications, researchers analyzed data of 152 living liver donors at the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhekiang University, China, between December 2006 and June 2014. The data included postoperative complications per the modified Clavien classification system.

Of these patients, 40.1% experienced postoperative complications (n = 61), but no deaths were reported. Postoperative complications developed in 58 right hepatectomy donors, one in a left hepatectomy donor and two in lateral left hepatectomy donors, according to the research.

Grade I complications were observed in 25% of donors (n = 38); grade II were observed in 7.2% of donors (n = 11); grade IIIa complications were observed in 5.9% of donors (n = 9); and grade IIIb complications were observed in 2% of patients (n = 3). No grade IV complications were reported.

The most common complication was grade I and mild pleural effusion, which was found in 20.4% of the donors (n = 31). The prevalence rate for re-operation was only 1.3%. No significant prognostic baseline factor was observed.

The overall length of stay in the intensive care unit was 4.13 ± 2.27 days and 19.99 ± 8.56 days for hospital stay. No prolonged ICU stay was needed or observed among the donors who experienced complications. Patients who experienced grade III complications did have a longer length of stay at the hospital compared with donors without complications (P = .046).

The researchers stated that all patients returned to their “normal lives” after transplant and the study was complete.

“Living donors experienced various complications, which were usually mild and had a good prognosis,” the researchers concluded.

Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.