Survey Results of the Expert Meeting on Laparoscopic Living Donor Hepatectomy and Literature Review

Background: Because laparoscopic donor surgery has been successful in pediatric living donor liver transplantation, its application is expanding to right hepatectomy. However, there is no consensus on the indications for laparoscopic donor hepatectomy or on the details of the surgical technique. Objective: To evaluate the current status of laparoscopic donor hepatectomy and to summarize the expert opinion on it. Methods: Before the expert meeting on September 8, 2016, in Seoul, Korea, a survey was undertaken from expert liver surgeons from around the world. Results: Fifteen of 17 (88.2%) surgeons responded to the survey. The selection criteria for laparoscopic donor surgery are stricter than for open surgery in terms of the anatomy, remnant liver volume, and recipient's condition. There is no consensus on the instruments or equipment used. A literature review of laparoscopic donor hepatectomy showed that the use of this method is increasing and the short-term outcomes are similar to those of open surgery. Conclusions: This survey and literature review show that laparoscopic donor hepatectomy is performed by experienced surgeons in selected cases, and that its incidence is increasing worldwide.