Cadaveric split liver transplants preferred to living-donor transplants

The first international symposium dedicated to expanding the donor pool was held in Pittsburgh in August 1999. In a statement, the meeting’s sponsor, the university of Pittsburgh medical center., said, “A better and safer way to expand the donor pool would be to encourage more transplants that use surgically divided livers from cadaveric donors, thus providing benefit to two patients from one organ donor. If put into more widespread practice, split liver transplants could eliminate deaths of children on the national waiting list and also offer adults an alternative source of organs without the risks associated with living-related transplants.”

According to UPMC, only 18 of the 125 liver transplant programs in the United States perform split liver transplants, and more widespread use of the procedure could lead to an estimated 500 to 600 more liver transplants in the United States every year.

“Full development of split liver transplantation may make living-related donation and reduced grafts obsolete except in emergent or special circumstances. In addition, the practice could provide enough liver grafts for the entire pediatric population,” said meeting co-chairman Ronald W. Busuttil,MD,PhD.