Comparison of the Results of Living Donor Liver Transplantation Due to Acute Liver Failure and Biliary Atresia in a Quaternary Center.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the complications, outcomes, and survival prevalence in patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation due to biliary atresia (BA) or acute liver failure (ALF).

Results: In the period of June 1998-July 2016, 199 children underwent living transplantation due to BA or ALF. Of these 199, 184 were included in the analysis. The average age, weight, and body mass index of BA patients were lower than those of ALF (P < .001). The chi-square test showed a higher prevalence of infection in transplant recipients due to BA (P = .0001) and a higher prevalence of hepatic artery stenosis in those who underwent transplantation due to ALF (P = .001). In the multivariate analysis, the infection remains statistically more prevalent in the BA group (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20-0.60), while hepatic artery stenosis loses significance. The mortality rate was similar in both groups and the survival in 5 years also. The prevalence of hepatic artery thrombosis, portal vein thrombosis/stenosis, biliary stenosis, and acute and chronic cellular rejection showed no statistical difference between the two groups.

Conclusion: Living donor liver transplantation should be a valid option in cases of fulminant hepatitis with an indication for liver transplantation, especially in places where the number of cadaverous donors is low and the length of time on the waiting list is high.