Living donor liver transplantation: post-operative imaging follow-up of right lobe liver donors

Abstract

Purpose

To identify long-term post-operative imaging findings resulting from right lobe liver donation.

Methods

This retrospective imaging review consisted of 42 adults (20 males, 22 females, mean age 36.6 years, range 18.7–55.9 years) who underwent right lobe liver donation with pre- and post-operative imaging between 1999 and 2006. The mean follow-up period was 30.2 months (range 12.3–69.6 months). Follow-up imaging evaluation included assessment of the biliary tree, particularly isolated bile ducts draining to and terminating at the cut surface (orphan ducts). Three-dimensional volumetry of the liver remnant was also assessed.

Results

After liver donation, 29/42 (69%) participants demonstrated orphan ducts on follow-up imaging (95% confidence interval 52.9% to 82.4%). In those patients with orphan ducts, the main draining ducts were normal in 70% and dilated in 69%. Nearly all right lobe liver donors with orphan ducts had no clinical symptoms on follow-up (28/29); the only liver donor with clinical symptoms on follow-up was subsequently diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis. Mean regenerated liver volume was approximately 93%, with mean pre-operative total liver volume of 1552 ml (median 1504 ml, range 1040–2520 ml) and mean post-operative total liver volume of 1446 ml (median 1455 ml, range 964–2090 ml).

Conclusions

Orphan ducts are changes that may be seen after liver donation. The presence of these findings in the absence of clinical symptoms or abnormal hepatic chemistries does not require further work-up and should not be considered pathologic.

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