Adult-to-Adult Transplantation of the Right Hepatic Lobe from a Living Donor

Abstract

The number of patients needing liver transplantation greatly exceeds the number of organs that can be obtained from cadavers. Living-donor liver transplantation has therefore received increasing attention. A total of 509 such procedures were performed in 2001. The procedure involves the transplantation of the right hepatic lobe of the donor into the recipient after the removal of the entire diseased liver. In coming years, the role of this procedure will be determined by weighing the risk to donors against the improvement in outcome for recipients.