Living donor liver transplantation in the United States: The way forward

The success of the first living donor liver transplant (LDLT) performed in a child in Brisbane 1 followed shortly by a series of twenty successful pediatric cases in Chicago 2 opened the door for LDLT to become a viable alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT), not just for children but also for adults. In fact, LDLT has catapulted to become the main mode of liver transplantation in Asia 3 and the Middle East, 4 where religious beliefs, cultural norms, organ shortage, and political factors have limited the availability of deceased donors. Yet, despite a consistent growth of liver transplantation in the United States (US) over the past four decades