Twenty cases of adult-to-adult living-related liver transplantation: Single-center experience in Saudi Arabia

Background. The deceased donor organ shortage has forced surgeons to implement innovations, including living-related liver transplantation (LRLT). Objective. To present the first 20 cases of adult LRLT in a single center in Saudi Arabia. Methods. From November 2000 to May 2004, we performed 20 cases of LRLT. Eighteen donors were men and 2 were women. Their median age was 27 years. Seventeen of the recipients were men and 3 were women of median age 55 years. One patient received combined liver and kidney grafts. Results. All cases had liver cirrhosis. Seven had hepatitis C; six, hepatitis B and C; three, hepatitis 13; one, alcoholic cirrhosis; one, Bylar disease, one hepatic schistosomiasis, and one cryptogenic cirrhosis. Three cases had associated hepatocellular carcinomas. There was no donor mortality. In the recipients, the overall patient and graft survival was 85%. While 10 donors presented uneventful postoperative courses, 8 experienced minor complications and 2, major complications: biliary stricture and portal vein thrombosis. Recipients complications included biliary complications (35%), acute rejection (20%), hepatitis C reactivation (20%), hepatic vein stenosis (10%), hepatic artery stenosis (5%), and hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence (5%). Conclusions. LRLT has become a standard option in adults with end-stage liver failure in our center.