Analysis of Right Lobe Living-Liver Donor Complications: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Objectives: Living-donor liver transplant provides an alternative source of organ to patients with end-stage liver disease. This study sought to determine and classify the donor morbidities after right lobe donor hepatectomy in a single center.

Materials and Methods: One-hundred eighty-one right lobe living-donor hepatectomy were performed in our center between January 2004 and December 2009. Of the 181 donors, 104 donors were men and 77 donors were women. Mean age of the donors was 38 years (range, 18-63 years). The mean follow-up was 33.3 months (range, 3-66 months). Complications after the operation were stratified according to the Clavien classification.

Results: Eighty-one complications occurred in 73 of the 181 donors (40.3%). The most common complication was wound infection, which was seen in 14 of 181 donors (7.7%). Biliary complications were seen in 4.4% of donors. There was no postoperative mortality. Also, grade 4 complications, which are life-threatening, did not occur. Blood transfusion were not required during the operation. The incidence of reoperation was 1.6% in all donors.

Conclusions: Living-donor liver transplant ensures a new graft to patients with end-stage liver disease. Donor morbidity is one of the realities of the donor hepatectomy procedure. Because the donors are healthy individuals, the aim of the process must be to eliminate the donor mortality while decreasing the complication rates.