Successful reuse of liver allograft from liver transplant recipient: the first case report in China
10.3760/cma.j.cn421203-20240704-00159
- VernacularTitle:国内首例肝移植受者移植供肝再利用
- Author:
Hongyuan XUE
1
;
Conghuan SHEN
;
Yifeng TAO
;
Ruidong LI
;
Jianhua LI
;
Xiuling ZHOU
;
Quanbao ZHANG
;
Zhengxin WANG
Author Information
1. 复旦大学附属华山医院普外科肝脏移植中心，上海 200040
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Liver transplantation;
Brain death;
Reuse;
Hepatic artery embolism
- From:
Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation
2025;46(1):69-73
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The shortage of donor organs is the primary factor limiting the availability of liver transplantation (LT) and is a leading cause of death among patients on the waiting list. The reuse of liver allografts, while rare, represents a significant and unconventional donor resource, offering a promising strategy to expand the donor pool. This approach has been documented in international literature, demonstrating favorable surgical outcomes and long-term follow-up results. Here, we report the first case of liver allograft reuse in the Liver Transplantation Center, Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University. In this case, the first recipient underwent orthotopic LT for acute liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy. However, their condition deteriorated on the seventh postoperative day, culminating in brain death. Following evaluation and maintenance, the liver allograft was successfully re-transplanted into a second recipient, who had undergone LT six days earlier but experienced acute hepatic artery embolism leading to rapid liver function deterioration. The second recipient's liver function recovered smoothly after surgery, and they were discharged on the 28th postoperative day. This case highlights the significant value of liver allograft reuse in expanding the donor pool and providing life-saving options for critically ill patients requiring urgent LT.
