The use of a liver with a gunshot injury as a donor for auxiliary liver transplantation: Case report

Abstract

Introduction: liver transplantation can be the only treatment for acute liver failure.

Presentation of case: A 59 year-old female patient with acute liver failure due to mushroom poisoning underwent auxiliary liver transplantation. The liver graft was harvested from a brain-dead donor with a deep gunshot wound in the posterior sector of the graft. The postoperative course was uneventful with rapid recovery of the recipient and no complications associated with the gunshot wound.

Discussion: Patients scheduled for urgent liver transplantation should have rapidly a liver graft otherwise the mortality rate is high. In our case, an injured liver graft by gunshot was successfully used allowing liver transplantation and increasing the pool of liver grafts.

Conclusion: A gunshot liver graft can be used if the major vascular or biliary structures are not injured.

Keywords: Brain death donor; Gunshot wound; Liver transplantation.