Graft mass and volume calculation in living related donors for liver transplantation.

Living related liver transplantation is one of the strategies currently used to increase the donor pool. A preoperative and non-invasive estimate of the donor's liver volume is needed to ensure sufficient functional liver reserve for survival after resection, and to obtain a graft of adequate volume to suit the recipient's features. A method based on a preoperative abdominal computerised axial tomography of the donor, that enables the volume and mass of the whole liver, and the graft, to be calculated is herein described. The compatibility of the estimate with real graft mass after its removal has been proved, and the accuracy of the calculi has been compared with other published methods. Moreover, progressive growth of the recipient liver remnant has been demonstrated in subsequent explorations.