LDLT Effective For Acute Liver Failure

New findings published in the American Journal of Transplantation show that live donor liver transplantation should be safe and effective for acute liver failure.

Based on emergency evaluations of living liver donors, researchers found that the procedure worked safely to allow liver failure patients to undergo transplantation before their condition got worse.

Acute liver failure can result in coma or even death in more than 80 percent of cases if left untreated. As it stands, the most effective therapy is liver transplantation. However, donor supply is difficult and finding someone can be hard in a very timely situation. 

The researchers note that now, they report on their hospital's experience using LDLT for treating adult patients suffering from acute liver failure: "From 2006 to 2013, all seven patients with acute liver failure who underwent a LDLT were compared with all 26 patients who underwent a deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). For LDLT, liver transplantation was performed within 18 to 72 hours after living donor evaluation was initiated."

Overall postoperative complications were similar when comparing LDLT versus DDLT had similar incidences (31% versus 43%), and no differences were detected between LDLT and DDLT patients regarding 1-, 3-, and 5-year liver and patient survival rates. No severe donor complications occurred after LDLT.

"Since acute liver failure can deteriorate within hours or days to coma or death, waiting time is critical for this patient group," concluded Markus Selzner, MD, of the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at Toronto General Hospital, in a news release. "If a living donor is available, liver transplantation can be performed without delay, reducing the risk of death or permanent disability of the recipient."