Results of liver transplantation from donors over 75 years: case control study.

Cascales Campos P, Ramírez P, Gonzalez R, Domingo J, Martínez Frutos I, Sánchez Bueno F, Robles R, Miras M, Pons J A, Parrilla P

Department of Surgery, Liver Transplant Unit, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.

Transplant Proc. 2011 Apr;43(3):683-6. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2011.01.087.

INTRODUCTION

The use of elderly donors can increase the pool of organs available for transplant. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of grafts from donors older than 75 years.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We selected 29 patients transplanted from January 2003 to January 2010 with livers from donors older than 75 years for comparison with a control group (58 patients), selected among patients transplanted immediately before or after each study case. Data analyzed using SPSS 15.0 were considered statistically significant at P < .05.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were evident in the mean age of donors (78.3 ± 2.9 vs 50.4 ± 17.8 years, P < .001), levels of aspartate aminotransferase alanine aminotransferase (30.8 ± 18.13/24.9 ± 14.4 vs 53.81 ± 68.4/39.37 ± 39.94 U/L, P < .05), and waiting list time of (122.4 ± 94.3 vs 169.2 ± 135.5 days, P = .034) of elderly donor versus control graft cohorts. The median follow-up was 32 months (range: 4-88.0) No differences were observed at 1 and 3 years after transplantation: graft survival was 78% and 61% in the older donor group and 83% and 71% in the younger donor group, respectively.