The success of Mayo Clinic's first paired living-donor liver transplantation may pave the way for expanded access and more "timely transplant" for patients in need, Timucin Taner, MD, PhD, told Healio.
"At any given time, about 10,000 people are on the liver transplant waiting list in the U.S.," Taner, chair of the division of transplant surgery at Mayo Clinic, said. "Another 10,000 are added to the list every year."
According to a Mayo Clinic press release, Michael Broeker, MD, of Allina Health, donated a portion of his liver for the clinic's first paired liver donation, which was led by Taner. The surgery marked a "significant first step" in helping more people receive lifesaving transplantation.
In a Healio exclusive, Taner explained the paired living donation process, as well as its benefits and common misconceptions.
Healio: How does living donor liver transplant differ from deceased donor transplant and what are the benefits?
Taner: In deceased donor transplant, the recipient receives a full-size liver from a deceased donor. In living donor transplant, the recipient receives a portion of the donor's liver. That portion grows to a normal liver size within the first 3 to 4 weeks.
Some patients on the liver transplant waitlist have a low priority score, despite their symptoms. Thus, their chances of getting a deceased donor liver are low. Living donor liver transplantation is a great option for such patients, allowing them to get a timely transplant.
Healio: How does paired liver donation work?
Taner: If a living donor and a recipient are not compatible with each other (eg, size mismatch or blood type incompatible), then they can be matched with another incompatible donor-recipient pair. That way, both recipients can receive a transplant from each other's donors who are compatible with them.
This was not the first living donor liver transplant at Mayo; it was, however, the first paired exchange of living donors. Hopefully, this approach will allow us to transplant more patients who are in need of one.
Healio: Why are living donor liver transplants less common than other living donor transplants, such as kidney?
Taner: Most, but not all, patients on the liver waitlist get a deceased donor liver, whereas the waiting time for a deceased donor kidney is much longer. Also, the living donor liver transplant is a bigger operation than a living donor kidney transplantation.
Healio: A common misconception about living donation is that donors may not have a normal life after the surgery. What should potential donors know about the process?
Taner: Living donors can go back to a normal, healthy lifestyle without limitations after their recovery. This needs to be relayed to the public to raise awareness of the need for living donations.
Healio: What advice would you give to those considering becoming a living liver donor?
Taner: To seek additional information from their nearest living donor liver transplant center, so they can make an informed decision about whether to proceed with this life-saving gift.