Early Outcomes of Liver Transplantation Using Donors After Circulatory Death in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Comparative Study

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has increased in the last decade, although a slight increase in surgical complications has been reported in liver transplantation (LT). Therefore, DCD is not overall recommended because it entails an added risk. However, DCD in selected patients shows acceptable results. The objective was to analyze the characteristics, early outcomes, and survival at 1 year post-LT from a single institute (January 2015 to May 2017). We included 18 DCD-LTs and compared them with a control group of 18 donation after brain death (DBD) LTs. We analyzed pre- and posttransplant variables related to donors, recipients, and intraoperative early outcomes within patients transplanted due to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2, or Fisher test was performed when appropriate, as well as multivariate analysis in case of statistical significance. A variable is considered as statistically significant when it reaches a value of P < .05. In DBD, we found a lower length of stay in the intensive care unit before retrieval and a higher rate of alcoholism and diabetes mellitus, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and Child B and C score (P < .05). Most of the DCD were originally from the same LT recipient center, and a higher donor mean post-LT alanine aminotransferase level was found (P < .05). Survival for the DBD group was 88% and 75% in the DCD group at 1 year post-LT, being not significant (NS). HCC recipients who are transplanted with good quality DCD livers do no worse than those transplanted with livers from DBD donors, although a good selection of them is crucial. •DCD has allowed for an increase in the pool of donors in the last decade, which is sometimes associated with an increase in postoperative surgical complications.•HCC recipients who are transplanted with good quality DCD livers do no worse than those transplanted with livers from DBD donors.