LIVER REGENERATION IN DONORS OF LIVER GRAFTS

Abstract

Liver regeneration after donor hepactectomy offers a unique insight into the process of liver regeneration
in normal livers. Between June 2009 and October 2010, 40 live donor liver transplants (LDLTs) were
performed in liver transplant unit in EL-Maadi armed forces hospital. All donors who provided liver grafts
underwent volumetric spiral computed tomography scans preoperatively and postoperatively at time
intervals of 1week and 1,3and 6 months. Patients’ demographics, surgical data, and postoperative outcome
were correlated with liver regeneration data. Thirty two males and eight females {mean age 27.97 + 5.3}
provided 36 right lobe grafts and 4 posterior sector grafts. No donor operation was aborted and surgical
morbidity rate was 47.5%. Donor remnant liver volume was 47.1+5.2% of original total liver volume in
RL donors and 63.7+4.8% in RT Post. Sector donors. Overall regeneration was 95.3% of TLV at 6
months. Donors of right lobe grafts and donors with small remnant liver volume had significantly faster
liver re-growth more than the others. Also, female donors had significantly faster liver re-growth more
than males and teenagers show slow regeneration than the other age groups at POD 7. There was no effect
of operative time, steatosis, BMI, blood loss, blood transfusion, postoperative complications or
perioperative liver function tests on liver regeneration. All posterior sector donors achieved complete liver
regeneration after 3 months; only two RL donors achieved complete liver regeneration at 6 months.
However all donors have maintained normal liver function without long-term complications.
Key wards: living donor, liver transplantation, regeneration, right lobe graft, right posterior sector graft.