Latest development in split liver transplantation

Abstract

Currently, orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) represents the treatment of choice for most end-stage liver diseases. Advances in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive therapy have markedly increased its success. However, the main obstacle in LT remains the lack of donor organs with a current mortality rate for patients on the waiting list of up to 20%. This chapter focuses on developments in SLT techniques and living-donor LT to alleviate this problem. SLT yields a net gain of organs, in that it uses one organ to save either an adult and a child, or two adults. The initially used technique of ex-situ splitting is being replaced progressively by the in-situ splitting technique, which yields better preserved grafts. The latest step has been the introduction of living-donor segmental LT. The systematic combination of both techniques may lead to a further reduction of mortality for patients on the waiting list for LT.