Liver transplantation

AMC’s Liver Transplantation Center laid the foundation stone for DDLTs in Korea and paved the way for raising awareness for brain dead organ donation and transplantation. In May 1992, the center began with the first deceased donor multi-organ transplantation. The center had received global attention as it was the first to perform living donor liver transplantation using a modified right lobe graft in 1999, a dual living donor liver transplantation in 2000, and exchange liver transplantation in 2003. Furthermore, a steady stream of overseas medical professionals from prestigious transplantation centers around the world has been visiting AMC for training.

We became the single institution performing the greatest number of living donor liver transplantations in the world. The recipients’ survival rate was very high even though they did not exclude patients in very serious condition. In addition, there was almost no case of complications or death in donors out of more than 2,600 liver transplantations. This is because we have developed a living donor liver transplantation system using various grafts for the safety of donors and are fully prepared for possible complications prior to transplantation.

[Evaluation tests]

· Recipient: CT liver dynamic and chest, US hepatic, Mesentric Doppler, MR Brain + angiography with enhancement, Echocardiogram, CT coronary artery, Thallium SPECT, Endoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, PFT, Laboratory tests, Viral marker, Tumor marker, consultations etc.

· Donor: CT Liver volumetry, US Liver, MR liver, CT coronary artery (over 35yr), PFT (over 35yr), Laboratory tests, Viral marker, Tumor marker, Chest x-ray, consultations etc.

[Details of treatment plan]

1. Operation
1) Recipient: Living donor Liver Transplantation (SICU: 5~7 days, General ward: 3~4 weeks)
2) Living donor: Hepatectomy (General ward: 10~14 days)

2. Outpatient follow-up
1) Recipient: Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and liver function test every 1~2 weeks for 1~2 months
2) Donor: Follow up test and consultation in one month after discharge

* Treatment plans are subject to change after the consultation in person and depending on the test results.

[Significant Achievements]

· Korea's first pediatric living donor liver transplantation (1994)
· Successful ABO-incompatible liver transplantation (2008)
· World's first liver transplantation using a right lobe graft with middle hepatic vein reconstruction (1999)
· World's first dual-graft living donor liver transplantation (2000)
· World's first donor exchange program in liver transplantation between ABO-incompatible group (2003)

Details are finalized after consulting with the hospital