Experience with 122 consecutive liver transplant procedures at king Faisal specialist hospital and research center

ABSTRACT

Saudi Arabia is a leading country in the Middle East in the field of deceased-donor liver transplantation [DDLT] and living-donor liver transplantation [LDLT]. We present out experience with DDLT and LDLT at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center [KFSHRC] for the period from April 2001 to January 2007. We performed 122 LT procedures [77 DDLTs and 45 LDLTs] in 118 patients [4 re-transplants] during this period of time. The number of adult and pediatric procedures was 107 and 11, respectively. The overall male/female ratio was 66/52 and the median age of patients was 43 years [range, 2-63 years]. In the DDLT group, the median operating time was 8 hours [range, 4-19], the median blood transfusion was 6 units [range, 0-40], and the median hospital stay was 13 days [range, 6-183]. In the DDLT group, after a mean follow-up period of 760 days [range, 2-2085], the overall patient and graft survival rate was 86%. In the LDLT group, the median opera ting time was 11 hours [range, 7-17], the median blood transfusion was 4 units [range, 0-65], and the median hospital stay was 15 days [range, 7-127]. In the LDLT group, and after a mean follow-up period of 685 days [range, 26-1540], the overall patient and graft survival rates were 90% and 80%, respectively with no significant difference in patient and graft survivals between groups. Biliary complications were significantly higher in LDLT compared to DOLT [P<0.05]. Vascular complications were also significantly higher in LDLT compared DDLT [P<0. 05]. Both DDLT and LDLT are being successfully performed at KFSHRC with early experience indicating a higher rate of biliary and vascular complications in the LDLT group