Improved graft survival of pediatric liver recipients transplanted with pediatric-aged liver donors.

BACKGROUND

Improving graft survival after liver transplantation is an important goal for the transplant community, particularly given the increasing donor shortage. We have examined graft survivals of livers procured from pediatric donors compared to adult donors.

METHODS

The effect of donor age (<18 years or > or =18 years) on graft survivals for both pediatric and adult liver recipients was analyzed using data reported to the UNOS Scientific Registry from January 1, 1992 through December 31, 1997. Graft survival, stratified by age, status at listing, and type of transplant was computed using the Kaplan-Meier method. In addition, odds ratios of graft failure at 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years posttransplant were calculated using a multivariate logistic regression analysis controlling for several donor and recipient factors. Modeling, using the UNOS Liver Allocation Model investigated the impact of a proposed policy giving pediatric patients preference to pediatric donors.

RESULTS

Between 1992 and 1997 pediatric recipients received 35.6% of pediatric aged donor livers. In 1998 the percent of children dying on the list was 7.4%, compared with 7.3% of adults. Kaplan-Meier graft survivals showed that pediatric patients receiving livers from pediatric aged donors had an 81% 3-year graft survival compared with 63% if children received livers from donors > or =18 years (P<0.001). In contrast, adult recipients had similar 3-year graft survivals irrespective of donor age. In the multivariate analysis, the odds of graft failure were reduced to 0.66 if pediatric recipients received livers from pediatric aged donors (P<0.01). The odds of graft failure were not affected at any time point for adults whether they received an adult or pediatric- aged donor. The modeling results showed that the number of pediatric patients trans planted increased by at most 59 transplants per year. This had no significant effect on the probability of pretransplant death for adults on the waiting list. Waiting time for children at status 2B was reduced by as much as 160 days whereas adult waiting time at status 2B was increased by at most 20 days.

CONCLUSION

A policy that would direct some livers procured from pediatric- aged donors to children improves the graft survival of children after liver transplantation. The effect of this policy does not increase mortality of adults waiting. Such a policy should increase the practice of split liver transplantation, which remains an important method to increase the cadaveric donor supply.