Living-related pediatric liver transplantation

Abstract

Living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) was developed to reduce preoperative mortality in the small pediatric patient. It has now been successfully used for recipients ranging in size from 0.3 to 50 kg. Besides reducing preoperative mortality, LRLT offers the ability to electively schedule transplantation at the optimal time for the child's survival, evidenced by recent series with greater than 90% recipient survival coupled with 0% donor mortality or long-term complications. Living-related transplantation (LRT) should be made available at centers with experience to all children with end-stage liver disease.