Successful auxiliary two-staged partial resection liver transplantation (ASPIRE-LTx) for end-stage liver disease to avoid small-for-size situations

BACKGROUND: Risks for living-liver donors are lower in case of a left liver donation, however, due to lower graft volume, the risk for small-for-size situations in the recipients increases. This study aims to prevent small-for-size situations in recipients using an auxiliary two-staged partial resection liver transplantation (LTX) of living-donated left liver lobes. CASE PRESENTATION: Two patients received a two-stage auxiliary LTX using living-donated left liver lobes after left lateral liver resection. The native extended right liver was removed in a second operation after sufficient hypertrophy of the left liver graft had occurred. Neither donor developed postoperative complications. In both recipients, the graft volume increased by an average of 105% (329 ml to 641 ml), from a graft-to-body-weight ratio of 0.54 to 1.08 within 11 days after LTX, so that the remnant native right liver could be removed. No recipient developed small-for-size syndrome; graft function and overall condition is good in both recipients after a follow-up time of 25 months. CONCLUSIONS: Auxiliary two-staged partial resection LTX using living-donor left lobes is technically feasible and can prevent small-for-size situation. This new technique can expand the potential living-donor pool and contributes to increase donor safety.