Increasing Donor Body Weight to Prevent Small-for-Size Syndrome in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Background This study was designed to evaluate the possibility of avoiding small-for-size syndrome (SFSS) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) by increasing the donor’s body weight (BW) before liver donation. Methods Nineteen participants, including 15 volunteers and 4 liver donors, were enrolled in this study to increase their BW by 1.5–5 kg within 3 months by eating a high-protein and high-carbohydrate diet according to a flexible formula to increase calorie intake. Results Fifteen participants, including 12 volunteers and 3 live liver donors, successfully increased their BW by 1.5–5 kg within 3 months (failure rate, 21%). The actual liver weight (LW) gain was more than the expected LW gain using the formula for calculating standard liver volume (2.77- to 8.94-fold; median, 4.49-fold; mean, 4.45-fold, P