The use of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is considerably lower in the US, UK, and Canada compared to Asian countries, despite its excellent long-term survival rate. The demand for donor livers exceeds the supply, with more than 15% of patients dying after a year on the waiting list. Adult-to-adult LDLT provides an opportunity to address this supply-demand issue. A retrospective multicenter study analyzed around 3000 LDLTs and reported excellent long-term survival rates despite their low use.
The five-year survival rates were 82.8%, 85.4%, and 89.9% in the USA, UK, and Canada, respectively. Patients undergoing retransplantation or multiorgan transplantation were excluded from the analysis. LDLT can potentially decrease the mortality rate of transplant patients on the waiting list by offering earlier transplantation. The findings support the use of LDLT to balance the organ…
