Purpose of review: This review describes the history and current state of left lobe living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The transplant community continues to face an organ shortage on a global scale, and the expansion of LDLT is attractive because it allows us to provide life-saving liver transplants to individuals without drawing from, or depending on, the limited deceased donor pool. Donor safety is paramount in LDLT, and for this reason, left lobe LDLT is particularly attractive because the donor is left with a larger remnant.
Recent findings: This article reviews the donor and recipient evaluations for left lobe LDLT, discusses small for size syndrome and the importance of portal inflow modification, and reviews recipient outcomes in right lobe versus left lobe LDLT.
Summary: Left lobe LDLT was the first adult-to-adult LDLT ever to be performed in Japan in 1993. Since that time, the use of both right and left lobe LDLT has expanded immensely. Recent work in left lobe LDLT has emphasized the need for inflow modification to reduce portal hyperperfusion and early graft dysfunction following transplant. Accumulating evidence suggests, however, that even though early graft dysfunction following LDLT may prolong hospitalization, it does not predict graft or patient survival.
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