Reuse of a pediatric liver graft: a case report

Abstract

We report the reuse of a liver graft after brain death of the first recipient. The liver donor was an 8-year-old male who died as a result of head injury. The graft was implanted first to a 4-year-old girl for fulminant hepatic failure. Unfortunately she developed progressive coma and brain death on fifth day of transplantation. The graft functions were normal, and reuse of the liver graft was planned. After informed consent, the graft was transplanted to a 31-year-old female recipient who has hepatocellular carcinoma with an underlying cryptogenic liver cirrhosis. The patient was discharged to home on 9th day after an uneventful postoperative period. However, she was readmitted to hospital with an acute abdominal pain 30 days after the operation. Hepatic artery thrombosis was diagnosed, and the attempt to open the artery by interventional radiology was unsuccessful. She died of sepsis and multiorgan failure on 37th posttransplant day.