AUTHOR: T.M. De Feo, M. Colledan, E. Andorno, U. Cillo, L. De Carlis, G. Rossi, U. Baccarani, V. Mazzaferro, M. Donataccio, A. Risaliti, B. Gridelli, U. Valente, P. Burra, F. Poli, M. Scalamogna
KEYWORDS: Split-liver transplantation, collaborative program, Italian transplantation network (RNT), North Italy Transplant program (NITp), graft sharing
ABSTRACT: Split liver transplantation (SLT) was developed to reduce waiting list mortality of pediatric liver recipients due to pediatric donor scarcity. Since its introduction in 1989, nearly 4000 split liver transplants have been recorded in Europe of which 955 performed in Italy. The Italian experience started with an adult/pediatric split liver transplantation performed by the pediatric center of Bergamo and by the center of Genoa in 1997 in the North Italy Transplant program (NITp).
Since then, more than 700 SLTs, corresponding to 20% of all liver transplants, have been performed in the NITp area with a patient and graft survival comparable to that of whole liver transplant. Due to a strong collaborative program the vast
majority of SLTs have been shared between two centers inside and outside the inter-regional area contributing to the improvement of the Italian Transplant Network (RNT). The present work reports the phases of the collaborative program.
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