Hepatectomy had a high mortality rate in the previous decade because of inadequate techniques, intraoperative blood loss, liver function reserve misdiagnoses, and accompanying postoperative complications. However, the development of several modalities, including intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS), has made hepatectomy safer. IOUS can provide real-time information regarding the tumor position and vascular anatomy of the portal and hepatic veins. Systematic subsegmentectomy, which leads to improved patient outcomes, can be performed by IOUS in open and laparoscopic hepatectomy. Although three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography and gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging have been widely used, IOUS and contrast-enhanced IOUS are important modalities for risk analyses and making decisions regarding resectability and operative procedures because of the vital anatomical information provided and high sensitivity for liver tumors, including "disappearing" liver metastases. Intraoperative color Doppler ultrasonography can be used to delineate the vascular anatomy and evaluate the blood flow volume and velocity in hepatectomy patients and recipients of deceased- and living-donor liver transplantation after vessel reconstruction and liver positioning. For liver surgeons, IOUS is an essential technique to perform highly curative hepatectomy safely, although recent advances have also been made in virtual modalities, such as real-time virtual sonography with 3D visualization.

Portoenterostomy (PE) is the standard therapy for biliary atresia (BA). PE offers the chance of survival to children with BA. PE was the ultimate therapeutic modality for BA before liver transplantation (LT) was available. Failure of biliary drainage with PE was almost invariably fatal in children with BA. In such cases, redo-PE was performed to salvage patients following PE failure. PE remains the standard first treatment for BA despite the availability of LT. Further, redo-PE is also performed in a limited number of cases despite the development of LT as an alternative means of PE. However, there is concern that redo-PE increases morbidity at the time of subsequent LT. Laparoscopic redo-PE has recently been described. Laparoscopic redo-PE is expected to reduce complications of LT by preventing abdominal adhesion associated with repetitive surgery. In the present article, the future utility of redo-PE and the history of its changing roles are reviewed.

Due to the severe organ shortage and the increasing gap between the supply and demand for donor grafts, live donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become an accepted and alternative technique for the expansion of the donor pool. However, donor safety and good recipient outcomes must be balanced regarding risk stratification and decision-making within this patient population. Small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) is one of the complications encountered after LDLT, thus increasing the burden of optimizing donor graft selection and effective treatments during its occurrence. A graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) <0.8 predisposes the graft to SFSS. However, other factors may induce this complication even without a graft-to-patient size mismatch. Several strategies to prevent this complication include portal vein flow and liver outflow modulation, as well as pharmacological treatment. Also, as an entity with a multifactorial etiology, outcomes vary between right-lobe, left-lobe, and posterior-lobe donation among series encountered in the literature. In this review, we analyze the pathophysiology and classification of this complication, the state-of-the-art on management of SFSS, and the outcomes regarding the best treatment strategy on this patient population.

Donor shortage is a major issue in liver transplantation. We have successfully performed temporary auxiliary partial orthotopic liver transplantation (APOLT) using a small volume graft procured from a living donor for recipients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy (FAP). The aim of this study was to evaluate this procedure by comparing it with standard living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We compared 13 recipients undergoing this procedure with 23 recipients undergoing a standard LDLT for the treatment of FAP. The estimated donor graft volume and the graft volume/recipient's standard liver volume ratio were significantly smaller in the temporary APOLT group than in the standard LDLT group. Postoperative complications were comparable, although the hospital stay was longer in the temporary APOLT group. All the patients safely underwent a remnant native liver resection about 2 months after their first operation in the temporary APOLT group. No symptoms related to FAP developed before the remnant liver resection, and no significant differences in graft and patient survival were observed between the two groups. We successfully performed temporary APOLT using a small volume liver graft without postoperative liver failure for FAP. Temporary APOLT for FAP might be a useful alternative procedure for expanding the donor pool for LDLT.

Successful management of portal vein (PV) complications after liver transplantation is crucial to long-term success. Little information is available, however, regarding the incidence and treatment of PV complications after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Between January 1996 and October 2006, 310 adult LDLTs were performed at our institution. PV thrombus was present in 54 patients at the time of LDLT. The incidence of PV complications, choice of therapeutic intervention, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 310 recipients, PV complications were identified in 28 (9%). Risk factors included smaller graft size, presence of PV thrombus at the time of LDLT, and use of jump or interposition cryo-preserved vein grafts for PV reconstruction. When divided into early (within 3 months, n = 11) and late (after 3 months, n = 17) complications, the use of vein grafts for PV reconstruction predisposed to the occurrence of late, but not early, PV complications. Portal vein thrombosis occurred more frequently in the early period (eight out of 11, 73%), whereas stenosis occurred more frequently in the later period (14 out of 17, 82%). Surgical interventions were favored in the earlier period, whereas interventional radiologic approaches were selected for later events. Overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 81% and 77%, respectively, in patients with PV complications and 88% and 84%, respectively, in those without PV complications (P = 0.21, log-rank test). PV complications are a significant problem following LDLT with both early and late manifestations. Acceptable long-term results, however, are achievable with periodic ultrasonographic surveillance and timely conventional therapeutic interventions. The use of cryo-preserved vein grafts for reconstructing portal flow should be discouraged.

We studied the age-related changes in graft livers, and their impact on post-transplantation liver function and the growth of young recipient rats.

Rats aged 11-68 weeks old were studied as controls to assess liver histology, liver function, and body weight. We performed orthotopic liver transplantation using Kamada's cuff technique without arterial reconstruction. Young rats aged 11 weeks were randomized to receive livers from either 11-week-old donors (YD group) or 52-week-old donors (OD group). Recipient rats were killed 0, 8, or 16 weeks after surgery and we assessed the same variables as in the controls.

We confirmed an age-related increase in the average size of hepatocytes and their nuclei. These age-related changes persisted and progressed in the graft liver after transplantation. There were no significant differences in the levels of serum transaminases or total bilirubin between the YD and OD groups, but the serum albumin level was significantly lower in the OD group. The YD group grew normally, whereas the OD group recipients lagged significantly in gaining body weight.

We found that 52-week-old grafts transplanted into 11-week-old recipients resulted in deficient growth and a decline in serum albumin, suggesting that grafted old livers fail to produce enough protein to meet the demands of growth adequately.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) is one of the most important transcription factors for liver regeneration. This study was designed to examine the effects of constitutively activated STAT3 (STAT3-C) on post-transplant liver injury and regeneration in a rat 20% partial liver transplant (PLTx) model by ex vivo adenoviral gene transfer. Adenovirus encoding the STAT3-C gene was introduced intraportally into liver grafts and clamped for 30 min during cold preservation. After orthotopic PLTx, liver graft/body weights and serum biochemistry were monitored, and both a histological study and DNA binding assay were performed. STAT3-C protein expression and its binding to DNA in the liver graft were confirmed by Western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), respectively. This treatment modality promoted post-Tx liver regeneration effectively and rapidly. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase (AST/ALT) and bilirubin decreased in rats with STAT3-C. However, albumin (a marker of liver function) did not. Ex vivo gene transfer of STAT3-C to liver grafts reduced post-Tx injury and promoted liver regeneration. Thus, the activation of STAT3 in the liver graft may be a potentially effective clinical strategy for improving the outcome of small-for-size liver transplantation.

Pregnancy is often considered a contraindication to living related liver donation. There are serious medical and ethical considerations if a pregnant woman insists on undergoing partial hepatectomy to save her sick child. Herein we report a case of living related liver donation from a pregnant woman at 18 weeks of gestation to her 1-year-old child with decompensated cirrhosis due to biliary atresia. The left lateral segment of the liver was harvested for donation. Meticulous surgical technique and anesthetic management were mandatory in assuring a successful outcome. While this isolated case demonstrated that living related liver donation can be performed successfully with a pregnant donor, it should be undertaken only when there is absolutely no other donor and the recipient is in urgent need.

Redox factor-1 (Ref-1) has been shown to function in a redox-dependent manner in the cell. This study was designed to examine the effects of Ref-1 on liver regeneration as well as protection against postischemic injury in a rat model of 20% partial liver transplantation. Adenovirus carrying the full length of Ref-1 gene was introduced into liver grafts by ex vivo perfusion via the portal vein during preservation. Liver graft weights were assessed, as well as graft histology, serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/bilirubin, DNA binding activities of AP-1 and Stat3. Redox factor-1 successfully expressed in the liver graft, improved regeneration by promoting cell proliferation. Overexpression of Ref-1 protein also reduced post-transplant injury and inflammatory reactions in the grafts. The increased serum levels of ALT and bilirubin observed after transplantation were significantly reduced by Ref-1 overexpression. Furthermore, adenovirally overexpressed Ref-1 in mouse liver successfully promoted liver regeneration after simple partial hepatectomy. Interestingly, Ref-1 significantly increased DNA binding of Stat3, but not AP-1. Overexpressed Ref-1 effectively promoted graft regeneration and reduced postischemic injury in a small-sized liver transplantation model. The results of the present study may open a new avenue to clinical transplantation of disproportionately sized grafts in living-related liver transplantation.

The left lateral segment of the liver from an adult living donor sometimes is relatively too large for a small pediatric recipient. It currently is unknown whether a high graft-recipient body weight ratio (GRWR) has a significant effect on core temperature during the anhepatic and reperfusion phases of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Seventy-two pediatric patients undergoing LDLT were divided into two groups according to body weight. Group I (GI) consisted of patients with a body weight greater than 10 kg, and group II (GII), less than 10 kg. Core temperature, measured as nasopharyngeal temperature (NT), was compared between groups at induction of anesthesia, hourly during the following 6 hours, as the lowest core temperature at the anhepatic phase, 5 and 30 minutes after reperfusion, and the last 2 hours before the end of the operation. Mild hypothermia of 35.8 degrees C +/- 0.7 degrees C and 35.9 degrees C +/- 0.4 degrees C for GI and GII was noted after induction of anesthesia, respectively; this increased +/- 1 degrees C in the following 6 hours. In the anhepatic and reperfusion phases, a sudden and significant decrease in NT was observed in both groups. This decrease in NT was significantly greater in GII than GI. In conclusion, a sudden decrease in core temperature was observed during the anhepatic and reperfusion phases of LDLT in pediatric patients, likely caused by placement of the cold liver graft, which is flushed with 4 degrees C lactated Ringer's solution during vessel reconstruction, in the anhepatic phase and return of venous blood through the cold preserved liver in the reperfusion phase. Core temperatures of pediatric patients with a body weight less than 10 kg in GII, who received grafts with a high GRWR, were more affected than those in GI.

This paper provides a review of the practice of liver transplantation with the main emphasis on UK practice and indications for transplantation.

This section reviews the process of referral and assessment of patients with liver disease with reference to UK practice.

The practice of brainstem death and cadaveric organ donation is peculiar to individual countries and rates of donation and potential areas of improvement are addressed.

The technical innovations that have led to liver transplantation becoming a semi-elective procedure are reviewed. Specific emphasis is made to the role of liver reduction and splitting and living related liver transplantation and how this impacts on UK practice are reviewed. The complications of liver transplan-tation are also reviewed with reference to our own unit. Immunosuppression:The evolution of immunosuppression and its impact on liver transplantation are reviewed with some reference to future protocols.

The role of retransplantation is reviewed.

The results of liver transplantation are reviewed with specific emphasis on our own experience.

The future of liver transplantation is addressed.

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous interventional management of hepatic venous outflow obstruction after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Percutaneous balloon angioplasty (n = 5) and stent placement (n = 22) were attempted in 27 patients with hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Patient follow-up included clinical and laboratory data collection, Doppler ultrasonography (US), hepatic venography, and computed tomography. The following parameters were documented retrospectively: technical success and complications, clinical improvement, and recurrence. Technical success was defined as elimination or successful reduction of pressure gradients across the stenosis and clinical success was defined as amelioration of presenting signs. Recurrence was defined as relapse of clinical signs with hepatic venous anastomotic restenosis on Doppler US.

Technical success was achieved in all patients. The mean pressure gradients across the stenoses before and after the procedure were 10.6 mm Hg +/- 6.4 (range, 3-39 mm Hg) and 2.4 mm Hg +/- 2.6 (range, 0-8 mm Hg), respectively (P < .001). Three of the five patients who underwent balloon angioplasty developed recurrent stenosis 1-5 weeks after the procedure. These patients underwent repeat balloon angioplasty, and two of them eventually underwent stent placement (n = 1) or surgical repositioning (n = 1) of the graft. Three of the 22 patients who underwent stent placement required a second stent placement procedure because of malpositioning, partial migration, and acute angulation. During the mean follow-up period of 49 weeks +/- 47 (range, 3-214 wk), clinical success was achieved in 20 of 27 patients (73%).

Percutaneous interventional management is an effective and safe adjunct for the treatment of hepatic venous outflow obstruction after LDLT.

Patients with severe liver diseases, such as liver cirrhosis and biliary atresia, have low natural killer (NK) cell activity. The relations between NK activity and measures of liver function, including serum levels of total bilirubin, total bile acids, bile acid components, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, and platelet count were examined in patients with biliary atresia (6 boys and 6 girls; mean age, 4.8+/-5.7 years) and patients with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus infection (10 men and 2 women; mean age, 54.3+/-13.8 years). Univariate analysis showed that platelet count was positively correlated with NK activity in patients with biliary atresia (r = 0.611, P < 0.05). Serum levels of free chenodeoxycholic acid were negatively correlated with NK activity both in patients with biliary atresia (r = -0.647, P < 0.05) and in patients with hepatitis C virus-related liver cirrhosis (r = -0.876, P < 0.01). None of the other free bile acids or conjugated bile acids or other indicators of liver function were correlated with NK activity. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that only levels of free chenodeoxycholic acid were independently correlated with NK activity. All patients with biliary atresia underwent liver transplantation from living related donors. NK activity had increased significantly two months after transplantation (from 24.1+/-20.2% to 49.2+/-12.5%, P < 0.01). In contrast, levels of free chenodeoxycholic acid in transplant recipients had decreased significantly two months after transplantation (from 1.22+/-1.16 to 0.26+/-0.21 micromol/l, P < 0.05). In conclusion, in patients with biliary atresia or liver cirrhosis, NK activity in peripheral blood decreases, mostly because of free chenodeoxycholic acid.

Since the introduction of the split-liver transplantation procedure 15 years ago a variety of partial liver transplantations have been developed. The earliest form of split-liver transplantation consisted of reduction of a whole liver graft to just the left lateral segment or the left liver lobe, which was then small enough to transplant to a young child. The rest of the liver was discarded. This method partially solved the great need for liver grafts for children but as the remaining part of the liver was discarded the method was in fact detrimental for adults on the waiting list. Further surgical development resulted in splitting of the liver ex vivo into two transplantable partial grafts: the left part to a child and the right lobe to an adult. This procedure was successfully introduced but the complicated logistics resulted in prolonged cold ischemia times for the grafts. In order to keep the cold ischemia time as short as possible, the in situ split-liver technique was developed, in which the liver was split in the post-mortem donor. Refinement of this operation led to results which were superior to those obtained with the ex vivo method; moreover, it opened the door to living-donor liver transplantation. The first successful procedure was performed from a mother to a child, who received the mother's left liver segment. The introduction of this technique resulted over the years in a decrease in the pediatric waiting list to almost zero. As the demand for organs increases every year and the number of donors remains constant in Western countries, the right-lobe living-donor liver transplantation for adults has been introduced. Introduction of all forms of partial liver transplantation has relieved the pressure on waiting lists, especially for children but also for adults. There are, however, serious concerns regarding the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with the living-donor donation procedure.

Adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) is a reality; shortly after its introduction into clinical practice, it is being performed in approximately 50 centers throughout the United States and Europe. The quick development of ALDLT and some deaths among donors repropose old ethical dilemmas and confront the transplant community with new urgent problems. To minimize risks for recipients and, especially, donors, two key questions are addressed: (1) who can or should perform the procedure, and (2) what patient should undergo the procedure. The high risks taken by live donors undergoing a hemihepatectomy seem to be justified by the steadily increasing mortality of adult recipients waiting for transplantation. A comprehensive consent procedure is at the base of responsible decision making for both donors and recipients. In adherence to basic medical criteria, the autonomy of decision of donors and recipients may allow the extension of indications to patients not suitable to undergo transplantation with cadaveric grafts. The broadening of indications is appropriate only in centers with adequate experience and proven expertise in ALDLT. The medical community faces the duty of regulating ALDLT before external influences force undesired policy changes, particularly if not based on medical grounds. Individual centers and patients are ultimately responsible for the correct use of LDLT.

This paper provides a review of the practice of liver transplantation with the main emphasis on UK practice and indications for transplantation.

This section reviews the process of referral and assessment of patients with liver disease with reference to UK practice.

The practice of brainstem death and cadaveric organ donation is peculiar to individual countries and rates of donation and potential areas of improvement are addressed.

The technical innovations that have led to liver transplantation becoming a semi-elective procedure are reviewed. Specific emphasis is made to the role of liver reduction and splitting and living related liver transplantation and how this impacts on UK practice are reviewed. The complications of liver transplan-tation are also reviewed with reference to our own unit. Immunosuppression:The evolution of immunosuppression and its impact on liver transplantation are reviewed with some reference to future protocols.

The role of retransplantation is reviewed.

The results of liver transplantation are reviewed with specific emphasis on our own experience.

The future of liver transplantation is addressed.

The prognosis of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis has improved since the introduction of transplantation. However, there has been limited experience with living-related liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis.

Between January 1996 and October 2000, 105 patients underwent living-related liver transplantation at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Eighteen of these patients with primary biliary cirrhosis were the subjects of this study. The risk scores in the conventional and updated Mayo models ranged from 5.9 to 11.6 and 6.9 to 13.7, respectively.

The graft weight ranged from 330 to 533 g, corresponding to 33 to 55% of the recipient's standard liver volume. Two patients died of pneumonia, 1 died due to sepsis, and the remaining 15 patients survived. The risk scores for the conventional and updated Mayo models correlated well with the duration of hospitalization (P=0.01, R=0.67 for both). The scores of the dead patients by the two models were more than 10 and 12, respectively. The postoperative courses of all of the donors were uneventful.

The risk score in the Mayo model adequately reflected the outcome of the patients. To achieve the best possible outcome, further therapeutic tactics are necessary for patients with conventional or updated Mayo risk scores of more than 10 or 12, respectively.

Living donor liver transplantation was developed in response to a shortage of full-size grafts for children. The progression from reduced-size cadaveric grafts to use of living donors occurred subsequent to expansion of liver anatomy knowledge and practical use of hepatic segments. A major benefit of pediatric live donor liver transplantation is the grafting of children without using livers from the cadaver donor pool. A major drawback of the procedure relates to the need to perform surgery and assign risk to an otherwise healthy individual. The ethical challenge has been discussed in detail and, although not ideal, the procedure "passes muster" on grounds of informed consent and the good of helping another human being. Formidable success appears to have been attained with the adult-to-adult procedure thus far; however, the transplant community still awaits center-specific and compiled data to determine whether the procedure truly reduces adult waiting list times for liver transplant recipients with minimal donor risk.

Difficulties of cadaveric donation and serious donor shortage have led to the development and popularization of living-related donor liver graft transplantation (LRLT). Because the history of this procedure is rather short, important aspects specific to this procedure have not been sufficiently documented. The objective of this study was to analyze a single center's 10-year experience with 110 LRLT in pediatric and adult patients with end-stage liver diseases.

The medical records of 110 consecutive patients who underwent LRLT were reviewed. The recipients were comprised of 72 children and 38 adults. The graft volume corresponded to 26-192% of the recipient's standard liver volume. The relationship between pretransplant covariates and patient and graft survival was analyzed. Actuarial patient/graft survival rates were determined at 1, 3, and 5 years. The type and incidence of posttransplant complications were analyzed, as was long-term graft function.

The 1-, 3-, and 5-year actuarial patient and graft survival rates were 88%, 85%, and 85%, respectively. Log-rank test demonstrated that ABO-compatibility predicted patient survival rate, whereas patient age, underlying disease, patient's clinical status, donor-recipient relation, donor age, and graft volume/standard liver volume ratio did not. Long-term liver function remains excellent. All the donors have returned to normal daily lives with an uneventful course.

LRLT is an efficacious procedure that provides excellent short-term and long-term survival. The indication criteria for both recipient and donor were legitimate in this series, except for transplant across ABO-incompatibility. Cautious expansion of this procedure may be justified under the situation of serious shortage of cadaveric donor.

To evaluate the impact of technical modifications on living-donor liver transplants in children since their introduction in 1989.

Although more than 4,000 liver transplants are performed every year in the United States, only approximately 500 are performed in children. Living-donor liver transplantation has helped to alleviate the organ shortage for small children in need of liver transplantation. Few centers have amassed a sufficient number of cases to evaluate the impact of the different techniques used in pediatric living-donor liver transplantation.

From 1989 through 1997, 104 primary living-donor liver transplants were performed at the University of Chicago. Three phases of the living-donor liver transplant program can be defined based on the techniques of vascular reconstruction: phase 1, November 1989 to November 1994 (n = 78); phase 2, November 1994 to January 1996 (n = 6); and January 1996 to present (n = 20). The patients' charts were reviewed retrospectively. The incidence and type of vascular complications and patient and graft survival rates were analyzed.

Although the demographics of the patients have not changed during the three phases of the living-donor liver transplant program, the outcomes have improved. Without the use of conduits, the incidence of portal vein complications has significantly decreased from 44% to 8%. The incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis has decreased from 22% to 0% with the use of microvascular techniques. The combined use of both techniques has led to a significant increase in graft survival, from 74% to 94%.

The living-donor liver transplant recipient operation has undergone significant technical changes since its introduction in 1989. These changes have decreased the vascular complications associated with this type of graft. Avoiding the use of vascular conduits and performing microvascular hepatic artery anastomoses are the critical steps in improving graft survival.

In living related liver transplantation (LRLT), reconstruction of the hepatic vein (HV) by end-to-end anastomosis has been reported to be associated with acute or late outflow block.

We reviewed 42 patients who underwent LRLT from January 1996 to September 1998.

In 7 (27%) of the 26 donor grafts obtained from left lateral segmentectomy or extended lateral segmentectomy and in 9 (56%) of the 16 grafts obtained from left lobectomy, venoplasty was required. In the remaining 26 grafts, 1-orifice left HV was obtained. In addition to the division of the duct of Arantius, the left inferior phrenic vein was divided routinely in 16 patients, which contributed to reducing the venoplasty rate from 46% to 25% (P =.1704). In all 42 patients, HV was reconstructed successfully by end-to-end anastomosis. The median ratio of the diameter of the recipient's HV to that of the graft's HV was 1.2 (range, 0.8-2.1). The grafts were fixed to the abdominal wall by using the falciform and round ligaments at a site where Doppler ultrasound showed sufficient flow in the respective vessels. Three patients developed late-onset HV obstruction and required balloon dilatation either by means of a venous route or a transhepatic route: 1 patient received a new liver on the 232nd postoperative day, 1 patient died of sepsis without outflow block, and the last patient is doing well.

In LRLT, the division of the duct of Arantius and the left inferior phrenic vein followed by extensive clamping of the common trunk contributed to obtaining a 1-orifice HV. This facilitates anastomosis of the HVs of the grafts to the recipients' HVs, and fixation of the grafts by using the falciform and round ligaments prevents rotation of the grafts and subsequent acute outflow block.

The prognosis for patients with fulminant (FHF) or subfulminant hepatic failure (SFHF) has improved since the introduction of liver transplantation. However, the death rate of patients awaiting liver transplantation is high, possibly because of the difficulty in obtaining grafts in a timely manner, given the relative shortage of cadaveric donors. Between June 1990 and June 1999, 106 patients underwent living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) at Shinshu University Hospital. Among them, 8 patients had FHF and 6 had SFHF; these 14 patients are the subjects of this report. The graft volumes (GV) ranged from 231 mL to 625 mL, corresponding to 35% to 105% of the recipients' standard liver volume (SLV). The postoperative courses of all donors were uneventful. Following liver transplantation, all grafts functioned favorably, with normalization of serum total bilirubin within 3 to 5 days and normalization of coagulation profiles within 4 to 7 days. Thirteen of the 14 recipients are still alive. The actuarial 6-month, 1-year, and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 90%, and 90%, respectively. In the present study, when the ratio of the GV to the recipient's SLV was more than 35%, the graft was able to support the patient's metabolic demand after liver transplantation for FHF or SFHF. Because of the urgent nature of liver transplantation in this clinical condition, concerns over informed consent may be even greater than for elective LRLT. Nevertheless, the high success rate and low donor risk may justify this option for pediatric patients, as well as for a limited population of adult patients suffering from FHF or SFHF.