Strategies for widening liver donor pool

Asian J Surg. 2010 Apr;33(2):63-9. doi: 10.1016/S1015-9584(10)60011-5.

Abstract

Liver transplantation is a life-saving treatment modality, but is hindered by the scarcity of deceased-donor liver grafts. To acquire more liver grafts and thus save more lives, various techniques have been devised and policies adopted, including living-donor, split-graft and sequential liver transplantation; extended donor criteria; and donation after cardiac death. However, with these techniques and policies come a range of entailed medical concerns and concomitant ethical dilemmas, mainly bearing on the welfare of donors and potential donors. In this article, we provide an overview of how the transplant community works towards the end of extending the liver donor pool, with the aim of ensuring that more liver transplant candidates receive their transplant as early as possible. The current strategies in Hong Kong in this regard are also reviewed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Death
  • Hong Kong
  • Humans
  • Liver Transplantation* / adverse effects
  • Liver Transplantation* / ethics
  • Liver Transplantation* / methods
  • Liver Transplantation* / mortality
  • Liver Transplantation* / statistics & numerical data
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement* / ethics