A comparison of right-lobe and left-lobe graft for living-donor liver transplantation

Background/Aims: The practice of living-donor liver transplantation has been widely established. However, in adult cases, the issue of graft liver volume has been raised. Recently, liver transplantation using the right lobe has been done in cases requiring a larger graft volume. We compared right lobectomy with left lobectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma not accompanied by liver cirrhosis and examined the safety of hepatic right lobectomy for donation. Methodology: In total, 124 hepatocellular carcinoma patients without liver cirrhosis, 89 who had undergone right hepatectomy and 35 who had undergone left hepatectomy, were studied. For each group, we statistically examined the patients' profiles. Results: The resected right lobe was significantly heavier than the left lobe. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of the number of blood transfusions needed. Moreover, delayed recoveries in terms of hemoglobin, total bilirubin, and clotting disorder on postoperative day 7, as well as the frequency of any complications, were more prevalent in the right-lobe group. Conclusions: It was confirmed that right lobectomy is more invasive than left lobectomy. It is necessary to prioritize the donor's safety and quality of life in living-donor liver transplantation, and adequate medical and ethical consideration is demanded.