Living-Donor Liver Transplantation Improves Survival

Data demonstrate that LDLT is associated with lower mortality rates than is DDLT when waiting-time mortality is considered.

Deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) is a viable option for patients with advanced liver disease, but its use is limited by donor availability. Living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) makes more livers available, but its use is controversial; because nearly 60% of the donor’s liver is required, this technique puts not only the recipient, but also the donor, at risk. The survival benefit of LDLT has not been studied extensively. The Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL) was designed to address this question: Do patients who undergo LDLT have lower mortality rates than do comparable patients awaiting DDLT?

In a nine-center U.S. study, researchers evaluated the survival benefit of LDLT in 807 liver-tran…

Reviewing Author

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose