Living donor liver transplantation for patients with fulminant hepatic failure

Abstract

The prognosis for patients with fulminant hepatic failure has improved since the introduction of liver transplantation. However, the death rate of patients awaiting liver transplantation is high, possibly because of the difficulty in obtaining grafts in a timely manner, given the relative shortage of cadaveric donors. Under these circumstances, living donor liver transplantation is an alternative therapeutic option for patients with fulminant hepatic failure. The present review provides recent updates on the clinical and therapeutic aspects of living donor liver transplantation for fulminant hepatic failure. © 2008 The Japan Society of Hepatology.