Liver transplantation with "rescue organ offers" within the eurotransplant area: a 2-year report from the University Hospital Essen

Transplantation. 2006 Aug 15;82(3):304-9. doi: 10.1097/01.tp.0000229447.37333.ed.

Abstract

Liver transplantation (LTx) is the only treatment for patients with end-stage liver failure. This report focuses on 45 deceased donor liver allografts allocated through Eurotransplant as "rescue offers," which were accepted and subsequently transplanted at our center over a two-year period. These organs had been officially offered to and rejected by other transplant centers a total of 162 times prior to our acceptance. Primary nonfunction was observed in six patients. Two of them died and four were retransplanted. Overall patient survival was 84.4%. LTx with such "rescue organs" constitutes an additional transplant option and a safe mechanism to "rescue" organs within Eurotransplant.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Germany
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Survival
  • Hepacivirus / physiology
  • Hepatitis C / pathology
  • Hepatitis C / surgery
  • Hepatitis C / virology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / pathology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / surgery
  • Liver Cirrhosis / virology
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / surgery
  • Liver Transplantation* / immunology
  • Middle Aged
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue Donors*
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology
  • Treatment Outcome