Liver retrieval from brain-dead kidney transplant recipient - Expanding the organ pool - case report

Organ shortage is the leading cause of mortality while on the waiting list for an organ. There is a huge difference between the number of organs required for transplants and the number of organs and organ donations available for transplants. In Asian countries such as India, with a high prevalence of decompensated chronic liver disease requiring organ transplantations, organ shortage is one of the most important issues. Various modifications in donor criteria have been done in the past few decades to expand the organ pool. Organ donation from a brain stem dead person, who was a living donor organ recipient, is a novel and attractive option for expanding the organ pool. Few noteworthy cases have been reported from the west. There are no reports from Asian countries, especially from India. Here, we report a case where liver retrieval was performed from a renal transplant recipient after brain stem death.