Pure laparoscopic full-left living donor hepatectomy for calculated small-for-size LDLT in adults: Proof of concept

Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (A2ALDLT) is an accepted mode of treatment for end-stage liver disease. Right-lobe grafts have usually been preferred in view of the higher graft volume, which lowers the risk of a small-for-size syndrome. However, donor left hepatectomy is associated with less morbidity than when it is compared to right hepatectomy. Laparoscopic donor hepatectomy (LDH) has been considered almost exclusively in pediatric transplantation. The results of laparoscopic left-liver graft procurement for calculated small-for-size A2ALDLT in four donors are presented. The graft-to-recipient body weight ratio was <0.8 in all recipients. The mean portal vein flow and the pressure and hepatic artery flows were measured at 190 ± 56 mL/min/100 g, 13 ± 1.4 mm/Hg and 109 ± 19 mL/min, respectively. No early postoperative donor complications were recorded. One graft was lost due to intrahepatic abscesses. Asymptomatic stenosis of a right posterior duct was treated with a Roux-en-Y loop 4 months later in one donor. We show that LDH of the full-left lobe is feasible. LDH is a very demanding operation, potentially decreasing donor morbidity. Standardization of this procedure, making it accessible to the growing number of experienced laparoscopic liver surgeons, could help renewing the interest for A2ALDLT in the Western world. This report of laparoscopic procurement of full-left liver grafts for small-for-size adult-to-adult living donor liver transplants shows that this operation is technically feasible and has the potential to diminish donor morbidity. See editorial by Akoad and Pomfret on page 2243 and case reports on pages 2462 and 2467. © Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.