Living Donor-Initiated Domino Split-Liver Transplantation in Pediatric Setup: A Case Report With Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: In patients undergoing liver transplantation for metabolic diseases, removing the patient's liver for transplantation to another recipient is called "domino liver transplantation." The extracted liver can be divided and transplanted into 2 recipients, which is called domino split-liver transplantation in the literature. However, in our study, the domino liver was obtained from a pediatric patient. METHODS: A patient with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) underwent a living donor liver transplant, and the explanted liver was divided in situ into right and left lobes and transplanted to 2 separate patients. Demographic data, surgical techniques, postoperative period, and patient follow-ups were evaluated. RESULTS: The father's left lobe liver graft was transplanted into a 12-year-old boy with MSUD. The removed liver was divided in situ into right and left lobes. The left lobe was transplanted to a 14-year-old male patient, whereas the right lobe was transplanted to a 67-year-old male patient. The donor and the first recipient were discharged on postoperative days 5 and 22. The second pediatric patient who underwent domino split-left lobe transplantation was discharged on postoperative day 23. The adult patient who underwent domino split-right lobe transplantation died on postoperative day 12 owing to massive esophageal variceal bleeding. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent liver transplantation due to MSUD are among the best donor choices for domino liver transplantation. If the extracted liver has a sufficient volume and anatomic features for a split, it can be used in "selected cases."

Anesthesia Management in Laparoscopic Donor Hepatectomy: The First Report from Turkey.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to report a single-center experience in laparoscopic donor left-side and right-side hepatectomy cases regarding preoperative evaluation, perioperative and anesthetic management protocols, and postoperative follow-up. METHODS: Laparoscopic donor left-side and right-side hepatectomy cases were included in the study because of their excessive transection area and bleeding potential. Medical records of living donors were reviewed in terms of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), presence of consanguinity with the recipient, perioperative and early postoperative biochemical parameters, hemodynamic changes during surgery, duration of surgery, the ratio of liver volume to total liver volume, perioperative complications, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Eighty-one laparoscopic living-donor hepatectomy procedures were performed in our unit between 2018 and 2022. Six laparoscopic donor right-side cases and two left-side cases were retrospectively reviewed. Donors' mean age and BMI were 29.6 ± 8.6 years and 23.1 ± 4.3, respectively. The average weights of the right and left lobe liver grafts were 727 g and 279 g, respectively, constituting 65.8% and 22.7% of the total liver volume, respectively. The mean operation time was 593 ± 94 minutes, and the mean volume of blood loss was 437 ± 294 mL. A major complication, namely portal vein stenosis, developed in 1 donor (1/8), and portal vein patency was achieved postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Anesthesia management and teamwork between surgeons and anesthesiologists are the most important building blocks for donor safety, which is of the utmost priority. Effective communication and cooperation in the operating room may prevent potential donor complications and improve postoperative recovery time.