Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Sick Patients with MELD Score ≥ 35.

R.-S. Soong,¹ Y.-C. Wang,¹ C.-H. Cheng,¹ T.-H. Wu,¹ C.-F. Lee,¹ T.-J. Wu,¹ H.-S. Chou,¹ K.-M. Chan,¹ C.-S. Lee,² W.-C. Lee.¹

¹Liver and Transplantation Surgery, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan
²Hepatology, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Meeting: 2016 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: A209

Keywords: Graft survival, High-risk, Liver transplantation, Living-related liver donors

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session A: Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Saturday, June 11, 2016

Session Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm

Presentation Time: 5:30pm-7:30pm

Location: Halls C&D

Background: The liver transplant candidates with MELD score ≥ 35 were very sick and with high mortality without liver transplantation. All these patients are in critical condition and need liver transplantation urgently. However, in the area with lack of deceased liver donors, living donor is the only available option to save the patients. This study was to appraise living donor liver transplantation for such risky patients.

Materials and methods: The recipients of living donor liver transplantation with MELD score ≥ 35 before transplantation were included in this study. The clinical profiles of these patients were collected. The survival rates were calculated byusing the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: From 2004 to 2015, 535 patients had living donor liver transplantation for varied diseases at Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital. Among these patients, 35 (6.54%) patients' MELD scores were ≥ 35 before transplantation. They were 28 males and 7 females. The median (interquartile) age of these patients were 54 with a range from 13 to 69 years old. Among these patients, 26 patients had hepatitis B with acute execration, 4 patients had severe alcoholic hepatitis, 3 patients had drug-induced acute liver failure and 2 patients had acute hepatitis C. The median (interquartile) weight of the grafts for these patients was 630 (590 to 740) gm with a range from 440 to 920gm. The median (interquartile) graft-to-recipient weight ratio was 0.95% (0.83 to 1.18%) with a range from 0.63 to 1.62%. The graft/patient survival rates of 3-month, one-year, 2-year, 3-year and 5-year were 85.7%, 76.6%, 73.1%, 67.5%, and 67.5%, respectively.

Conclusion: The patients with MELD score ≥ 35 are in critical condition and urgent liver transplantation is needed. Living donor liver transplantation with a partial graft could achieve acceptable survival rates in this study. Living donor liver transplantation is a feasible treatment option for the sick patient with MELD score ≥ 35.

CITATION INFORMATION: Soong R.-S, Wang Y.-C, Cheng C.-H, Wu T.-H, Lee C.-F, Wu T.-J, Chou H.-S, Chan K.-M, Lee C.-S, Lee W.-C. Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Sick Patients with MELD Score ≥ 35. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Soong R-S, Wang Y-C, Cheng C-H, Wu T-H, Lee C-F, Wu T-J, Chou H-S, Chan K-M, Lee C-S, Lee W-C. Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Sick Patients with MELD Score ≥ 35. [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2016; 16 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/living-donor-liver-transplantation-for-sick-patients-with-meld-score-35/. Accessed July 4, 2025.

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