Pure Laparoscopic Right Hepatectomy in a Living Donor

After reporting the first laparoscopic hepatectomy in a living donor for pediatric liver transplantation, we now report a case of pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy for adult transplantation. A 50-year-old female volunteered for living donation to her sister who suffered from primary biliary cirrhosis. The volume of the planned hepatic graft (segments 5-8) was 620cm(3), representing 56% of her entire liver. Five ports were used in the donor to perform the operative procedure. The right hepatic artery and portal vein were isolated. Parenchymal division was performed using an ultrasonic dissector, bipolar coagulation and clips for hemostasis. Cholangiography was performed and the right bile duct was cut at the level of a marker thread. The right liver graft was placed in a bag and removed through a 10-cm suprapubic incision. The veins of segments 5 and 8 were recanalized and the graft was transplanted in the recipient. The postoperative course was uneventful for both the donor and recipient. This case offers evidence that the right liver can be procured via a total laparoscopic approach. This technique may allow for an early rehabilitation for the living donor. The authors report the technical details of a case of pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy in a live liver donor for intra-familial adult-to-adult transplantation. See editorial by Akoad and Pomfret on page 2243 and case reports on pages 2462 and 2472.

Automated summary

This study reports a case of pure laparoscopic right hepatectomy for adult transplantation. The surgery was successful and demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining a liver graft using laparoscopic approach, which is beneficial for the rehabilitation of the living donor.