Living-donor liver transplantation in children

With evolution of surgical technique, advances in immunosuppression, and better understanding of pre- and post-operative care, the 1-yr survival rate after liver transplantation in children has reached 85-90%. As a result, a greater number of patients have been listed for transplantation and waiting times have lengthened. Innovative techniques such as reduced-size, split, and living-donor liver transplantation are being applied more often to decrease long waiting times and reduce associated morbidity and mortality. In this review, living donor liver transplantation in pediatrics is described. Special issues, such as donor and recipient selection, surgical procedures in donors and recipients, and ethical issues, are discussed.