Research & Discovery > The Lifesaving Power of Paired Liver Donation

The Lifesaving Power of Paired Liver Donation

Compiled by Rich Polikoff Illustration by Beth Goody

At any given time, there are approximately 10,000 people in the U.S. who are on the waiting list for a liver transplant. For patients who have end-stage liver failure, their only treatment option is usually transplantation. Approximately 20% of people on the list will die waiting for a transplant.

Transplants from living donors are an option, thanks to the liver’s unique ability to regenerate itself within a month, but just 6% of liver transplants occur this way. Following Mayo Clinic’s first-ever paired living liver donation, the surgeons are hopeful that more patients can be saved in the future.

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Paired living donations most often occur because a potential liver donor wants to give to a family member or friend but is not the best match. In that case, a paired donation is considered, with the would-be donor giving to another patient while a second donor gives to the family member or friend in need.

Mayo’s first paired living liver donation was conducted in Rochester, with a team led by Timucin Taner, M.D., Ph.D., division chair of Transplant Surgery.

“Sadly, there are not enough donated livers available for everyone who needs one,” Dr. Taner says. “That is why living liver donation is so important.”

Paired living donations are commonly used for kidney transplants but are rare for liver transplants. Only a handful of transplant centers in the U.S. offer paired liver donations because of the logistical challenges. The procedure requires a large healthcare team of nurse coordinators, physicians, social workers and others who can match patients — as well as surgical teams to carefully coordinate.