A Successful Urgent Liver Retransplant From a Donor With a Left Ventricular Assist Device

• Published in: Experimental and clinical transplantation Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 493 - 496
• Main Authors: Buscemi, Vincenzo, Checchini, Giuliana, De Carlis, Riccardo, Lauterio, Andrea, Loforte, Antonio, Pacini, Davide, Odaldi, Federica, Cescon, Matteo, De Carlis, Luciano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey Başkent Üniversitesi 01.05.2021
• Subjects: End Stage Liver Disease - diagnosis; End Stage Liver Disease - surgery; Heart-Assist Devices; Humans; Liver Transplantation; Reoperation; Severity of Illness Index; Tıp; Tissue Donors; Ankara; Türkiye; Extended criteria donor; Bridge to transplant; Liver transplant; Chronic liver disease; Mechanical circulatory support
• ISSN: 1304-0855; 2146-8427
• DOI: 10.6002/ect.2020.0472

Organ shortage is one of the major limitations in the field of liver transplantation, which has led to the consideration of extended criteria donors as a way to expand the donor pool. The use of extended criteria donors in cases of high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores or urgent recipients could be complicated by increased postoperative mortality. Donors on left ventricular assist devices could be considered extended criteria donors because of the mechanical circulatory support itself and the potential of chronic liver damage due to right ventricular failure, but experiences in the literature are limited. Here, we report the first case of an urgent liver retransplant procured from a left ventricular assist device donor.