Liver donation and transplantation in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate and analyze the results of liver transplants from living and deceased donors in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study from the National Registry reported to the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation on 616 living donors and deceased donors between 2004 and 2010. Data included donors ' characteristics and acceptance rates of livers from deceased donors, recipient's status posttransplant, follow-ups, and patient survival. RESULTS: A total of 612 cases from deceased donors consented for liver donation of whom 402 cases (65.7%) were retrieved; 332 of them (82.3%) were transplanted. The mean age of the deceased donors was 33.2 years. Regarding living-donor liver transplants, 285 transplants were performed mostly from parent to offspring or offspring to parent. The mean age of the donors was 26.6 years and male/female ratio was 3/1. The mean follow-up was 745 days, and the mean posttransplant stay in hospital was 28.2 days. There were 11 cases with primary nonfunctioning grafts. At the end of the follow-up, 532 patients were alive (88%) and 58 patients died (10%). The patient survival at 3 years and the estimated 5-year survival were 87.2% and 77.1%. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of liver transplanting in Saudi Arabia is comparable to international levels. However, the need to increase the acceptance rate and the use of procured livers requires more effort in managing deceased donors. Both living-donor and deceased-donor liver transplants should be continued in Saudi Arabia to meet the ever-increasing demand of patients with end-stage liver disease.