Background: The aims of this study were to understand the number and type of directed living liver donors who contacted the transplant team after learning of the candidate's need for a liver transplant through Facebook.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review was performed for all living liver donors who contacted the transplant center between January 2010-June 2017. Directed donors were defined as individuals who had never met the transplant candidate but directed their donation to a specific transplant candidate.

Results: Of the 40 directed living liver donors that presented to the transplant center, 14 (35%) learned of the candidate's need for a living liver donor through Facebook. Of these 14 donors, all were Caucasian; mean age was 32.9 (SD=7.3); 11 (79%) were female; 7 (50%) were single and 4 (29%) married; and 7 (57%) reported some college and 2 (14%) having a Master's degree. No significant between group differences were observed by gender [Chi-Sqpare=1.244, p=0.265], age [F(14, 37)=0.289, p=0.594], marital status [Chi-Square=2.0, p=0.369], rural versus urban residence [Chi-Square=3.612, p=0.057], religion [Chi-Square=4.22, p=0.121], or educational level [Chi-Square=1.740, p=0.628]. The only significant between group difference was that donors who learned of the candidate's need for a liver transplant through Facebook were more likely to proceed to surgery (85%; Chi-Square=12.39, p<0.001] than donors who learned of the transplant candidate's need through other means (26%). Of the donors who did not present to the transplant center via Facebook, three donors reported no longer wanting to proceed with surgery after the evaluation and one donor was declined for psychiatric reasons. Only two donors in the Facebook group did not proceed to surgery. One donor was declined for psychiatric reasons and the other donor's candidate received a deceased organ.

Conclusions: Directed living liver donors who presented via Facebook were no different than other directed liver donors with the exception that they were more likely to proceed to surgery. With the initiation of the Donor Champion Program we expect an increase in directed living liver donors who may present through Facebook.

CITATION INFORMATION: Lai A., Steel J., Ganesh S., Ola O., Shen S., Zharichenko N., Nawaz S., Tevar A., Humar A. Living Liver Donation: The Role of Facebook in Directed Donation Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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