Living donor liver transplantation has become an essential surgical option to address the shortage of deceased donor organs. Unlike recipients, donors are healthy individuals who accept substantial surgical risks solely for the benefit of others.Thus, perioperative anesthetic management must emphasize donor safety, minimize morbidity, and optimize recovery. Key priorities include maintaining stable hemodynamics with minimal blood loss, implementing enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, and delivering effective multimodal pain control strategies. This review integrates current evidence and experience from recent publications to highlight the anesthetic principles guiding minimally invasive living liver donor surgery.

Background: In the era of nucleoside analogs (NA), we investigated the safety of using hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive grafts in liver transplantation (LT) using nationwide KOTRY data. Methods: Among 4,265 adult LTs in the KOTRY registry (April 2014–January 2020), 20 (0.5%) used HBsAg(+) grafts. The S(+) group was compared with HBsAg-nega-tive groups, both HBcAb(+) (C[+]) and HBcAb(−) (SC[−]), using 1:1 propensity scorematching. Patient and graft survival were evaluated using Kaplan–Meier analysis.Cox regression was used to identify prognostic factors. Results: No significant differences were observed in patient or graft survival be-tween S(+) and C(+) or SC(−) groups. Key prognostic factors for patient survivalincluded age, HCC, MELD score, ascites, and encephalopathy. For graft survival, HCC, preoperative HCC treatment, MELD score, ascites, and encephalopathy were significant. HBV recurrence occurred in the S(+) group, but did not compromise outcomes. Conclusion In HBV-endemic regions, HBsAg(+) liver grafts can be safely used to expand the donor pool without compromising LT outcomes when combined with appropriate prophylaxis.

Purpose: Accurate identification of the bile duct bifurcation site is crucial in pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) for living donor liver transplantation. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a deep learning model to predict the bile duct bifurcation site for surgical precision. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 55 PLDRH procedures conducted between August 2021 and April 2022. A deep learning model combining UNet with a MiT-B3 encoder was trained on 150 manually annotated frames. We then incorporated expert-reviewed pseudo-labels from an additional 901 frames to refine the model. Performance was evaluated using 5-fold cross-validation and an independent test set. Results: Clinical evaluation showed a 97% accuracy in 5-fold cross-validation and 93.3% accuracy in the independent test set. From the initial to final model, dice similarity coefficient improved from 0.392 to 0.472, intersection over union from 0.279 to 0.339, and sensitivity from 0.487 to 0.643, while specificity remained consistent at 0.993. Conclusion The proposed artificial intelligence (AI) model demonstrated strong clinical performance in predicting the bile duct bifurcation site during PLDRH. Despite modest quantitative scores, the high clinical accuracy highlights the potential of integrating AI for precise donor hepatectomy.

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive tumor, can develop in the bile ducts at the junction of the right and left hepatic ducts. Successful treatment with of surgical excision and/or transplantation has significantly improved the management of the disease, leading to increased survival rates and better quality of life for patients. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including limited therapy options for advanced-stage disease, potential risks, and a shortage of donor organs. For early-stage disease, surgical resection, usually right hepatectomy, is the preferred treatment, while transplantation is indicated for non-resectable cases. Liver transplantation offers prolonged survival for certain individuals; however, it requires lifelong immunosuppression and carries the risk of recurrence. The choice between resection and transplantation depends on various factors, including disease stage, patient health, and the availability of a donor organ. For patients diagnosed with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, implementing an interdisciplinary approach is crucial for optimizing therapeutic efficacy.

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive tumor, can develop in the bile ducts at the junction of the right and left hepatic ducts. Successful treatment with of surgical excision and/or transplantation has significantly improved the management of the disease, leading to increased survival rates and better quality of life for patients. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including limited therapy options for advanced-stage disease, potential risks, and a shortage of donor organs. For early-stage disease, surgical resection, usually right hepatectomy, is the preferred treatment, while transplantation is indicated for non-resectable cases. Liver transplantation offers prolonged survival for certain individuals; however, it requires lifelong immunosuppression and carries the risk of recurrence. The choice between resection and transplantation depends on various factors, including disease stage, patient health, and the availability of a donor organ. For patients diagnosed with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, implementing an interdisciplinary approach is crucial for optimizing therapeutic efficacy.

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive tumor, can develop in the bile ducts at the junction of the right and left hepatic ducts. Successful treatment with of surgical excision and/or transplantation has significantly improved the management of the disease, leading to increased survival rates and better quality of life for patients. Nonetheless, challenges persist, including limited therapy options for advanced-stage disease, potential risks, and a shortage of donor organs. For early-stage disease, surgical resection, usually right hepatectomy, is the preferred treatment, while transplantation is indicated for non-resectable cases. Liver transplantation offers prolonged survival for certain individuals; however, it requires lifelong immunosuppression and carries the risk of recurrence. The choice between resection and transplantation depends on various factors, including disease stage, patient health, and the availability of a donor organ. For patients diagnosed with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, implementing an interdisciplinary approach is crucial for optimizing therapeutic efficacy.

Emergency living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) serves as a critical procedure for patients grappling with acute liver failure, acute-on-chronic liver failure, and decompensated cirrhosis. This review explores the indications, surgical techniques, challenges, and outcomes of emergency LDLT. Despite the inherent logistical and ethical complexities, carefully selected patients undergoing emergency LDLT achieve survival rates comparable to those seen in elective LDLT and deceased donor liver transplantation. Advances in surgical protocols, immunosuppression, and perioperative care continue to improve outcomes, though further research and standardized approaches are necessary to expand access and optimize results.

Background: Emergency living donor liver transplantation (e-LDLT) is crucial for patients experiencing acute liver failure, acute-on-chronic liver failure, or severe, life-threatening cirrhosis. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors that affect the death rate of patients who are waiting for e-LDLT by analyzing data on the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS). Methods: A retrospective examination of KONOS data was performed, encompassing consecutive e-LDLT applications from 2017 to 2021. Exclusions were made for pediatric patients. The data were classified into two distinct groups. Patients who died before getting e-LDLT were classified as Group 1 (n=38), while patients who spontaneously recovered without liver transplantation, non-emergency LDLT, or deceased donor liver transplantation more than 14 days following e-LDLT treatment were classified as Group 2 (n=30). Results: Significantly greater rates of pre-transplant critical care unit stay, pre-transplant ventilator support, or continuous renal replacement treatment were observed in Group 1 compared to Group 2. In comparison to Group 2, Group 1 exhibited notably lower serum albumin levels and higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores. Significantly, the MELD score increased by more than 10% for 3 days preceding to e-LDLT applications in Group 1 compared to Group 2. The multivariate analysis revealed that the only factor that affected the death of patients waiting for LDLT after e-LDLT applications was pre-transplant ventilator support. Conclusion The present study suggested that patients receiving mechanical ventilator support in the pre-transplant period should be approached cautiously when deciding on e-LDLT.

Background: Deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) and living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) are employed to address highly urgent patients, including those with acute liver failure (ALF), acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), or critical cirrhosis. This study compares outcomes between LDLT and DDLT patients with ALF, ACLF, or critical cirrhosis in highly urgent LDLT (HU-LDLT) applications. Methods: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) data, which included 391 consecutive HU-LDLT applications from 2017 to 2021. Results: The proportion of DDLT was 15.1% (n=59) within the cohort of HU-LDLT applications. The prevalence of hepatorenal syndrome, duration of pre-transplant intensive care unit (ICU) care, incidence of pre-transplant continuous renal replacement therapy, and median model for end-stage liver disease scores were significantly greater and prolonged in DDLT patients compared to LDLT patients. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in postoperative complications or overall survival between the two groups. In the multivariate analysis, only pre-transplant ventilator care emerged as a significant predisposing factor for mortality. Conclusion The present study indicates that LDLT is a viable option, yielding comparable perioperative and long-term outcomes to DDLT for HU patients, which can encourage living liver donation to overcome organ shortages in HU patients.