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Split Liver Transplantation

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Contemporary Liver Transplantation

Part of the book series: Organ and Tissue Transplantation ((OTT))

Abstract

Split liver transplantation (SLT) creates two marginal grafts from one perfect deceased donor liver to save two recipients simultaneously. Since its inception in 1988, SLT has contributed tremendously to decreased mortality on the pediatric liver transplant waiting list. Despite unfavorable survival rates in the early experience of SLT for adults, successful outcomes have been reported by experienced centers, further substantiating the feasibility of this technique. Indeed, various advancements have encouraged more frequent use of this technique to overcome the shortage of donor livers. More than two decades of experience have documented the criteria necessary for SLT to achieve equivalent or superior outcomes to whole liver transplantation. Still, substantial challenges in surgical techniques, allocation, logistics, and ethics persist, and SLT remains underutilized worldwide. This chapter outlines the current state of SLT, focusing on donor and recipient selection, surgical techniques, outcomes, and current and future challenges such as allocation and associated ethical issues.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic/Liver Transplant Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Ave. Desk A-100, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Koji Hashimoto & Bijan Eghtesad

Authors
  1. Koji Hashimoto
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  2. Bijan Eghtesad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bijan Eghtesad .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nicoletti Family Professor of Transplant Surgery, Director, Jefferson Transplant Institute, Director, Division of Transplantation, Surgical Director, Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Liver Tumor Center, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Cataldo Doria

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Hashimoto, K., Eghtesad, B. (2017). Split Liver Transplantation. In: Doria, C. (eds) Contemporary Liver Transplantation. Organ and Tissue Transplantation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07209-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07209-8_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07208-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07209-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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