Results of Liver Transplantation With Donors Older Than 70 Years: A Case-Control Study

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2011-07, Vol.43 (6), p.2227-2229
• Main Authors: Álamo, J.M, Barrera, L, Marín, L.-M, Bernal, C, Suárez, G, Serrano, J, Gómez, M.A, Padillo, F.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight; Case-Control Studies; Chi-Square Distribution; Donor Selection; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Graft Rejection - immunology; Humans; Liver Diseases - diagnosis; Liver Diseases - mortality; Liver Diseases - surgery; Liver Transplantation - adverse effects; Liver Transplantation - immunology; Liver Transplantation - mortality; Liver, biliary tract, pancreas, portal circulation, spleen; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Primary Graft Dysfunction - etiology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Renal Insufficiency - etiology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Spain; Surgery; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the digestive system; Survival Analysis; Survival Rate; Time Factors; Tissue Donors - supply & distribution; Tissue, organ and graft immunology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2011.05.016

Abstract Older donors are a growing part of the total pool but no definite consensus exists on the age limit for their acceptance. This retrospective case-control unicenter study compared the outcomes of 72 orthotopic liver transplantations (OLTs) from April 1990 to April 2010 using donors older than 70 years versus 738 chronologically correlated OLTs performed with donors younger than 60 years. The percentage of refusal was greater among older than younger donors (48.2 vs 14.3%; P < .001). No difference was observed in mean cold ischemia times between older (370.5 minutes) versus younger groups (389.2 minutes). or in postoperative complications of rejection or renal insufficiency except for sepsis and mortality. Long-term survival was lower among transplant recipients from donors older than 70 years ( P = .001) and these cases showed more blood requirements associated with prolonged cold ischemia ( P = .02). Multivariate analysis revealed graft dysfunction, mortality, and reduced survival to be associated with donor weight and recipient MELD (Model for End-stage Liver Disease) ( P < .05). Interestingly, the mortality related to hepatitis C virus recurrence was not greater among patients whose donors were older than 70. Septuagenarians' livers can be used safely, but careful donor and recipient evaluation are required to avoid additional risk factors.