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The article discusses a study which compares the outcomes from orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) using controlled graft donation after cardiac death (DCD) and that from OLT using graft donation after brain death (DBD). The study employs adult recipients in the Netherlands who undergo OLT from DCD and DBD donors from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2006. The results show that the one and three-year survival rates in patients were the same for DCD and DBD transplants.

Purpose: Fatigue is a chronic problem in liver transplant recipients and may influence daily functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a fatigue-reducing physical rehabilitation programme on daily functioning, participation, HRQoL, anxiety and depression among liver transplant recipients., Method: Eighteen fatigued liver transplant recipients (mean age 51 years, 10 men/8 women) participated in a 12-week rehabilitation programme, which included supervised exercise training and daily physical activity counselling. We assessed pre- and post-programme health-related daily functioning, participation, HRQoL, anxiety and depression using questionnaires., Results: After the programme, patients showed improvements in daily functioning (23.6%, p = 0.007), the participation domain 'autonomy outdoors' (34.1%, p = 0.001), and the HRQoL domains 'physical functioning' (11.5%, p = 0.007) and 'vitality' (21.5%, p = 0.022). Anxiety and depression were unchanged post-programme., Conclusions: Rehabilitation using supervised exercise training and daily physical activity counselling can positively influence daily functioning, participation and HRQoL among fatigued liver transplant recipients.

Liver transplantation with a part of the liver from a healthy living donor can be life saving for selected patients with end-stage liver failure. The experiences with the first 3 adult patients in the Netherlands were as follows. The first patient was a 56-year-old man with primary sclerosing cholangitis, who received half of the liver from his 53-year-old sister. Postoperatively, the donor developed a urinary tract infection, which was treated with antibiotics. The recipient developed fever and paralytic ileus 6 days after transplantation. Relaparotomy revealed minimal bile leakage from the cut surface of the liver, which was corrected with a suture. Three years after donation, both donor and recipient were doing well. The second patient was a 63-year-old man with hepatic cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, recurrent bleeding from varices, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The carcinoma was treated percutaneously with radiofrequency ablation. He was given a liver transplant from his 28-year-old son. The donor later developed transient ileus and mild liver function disorders. The recipient developed a bacterial infection of the ascites, which was treated with antibiotics, and later Candida-oesophagitis and a herpes simplex infection, which were also treated successfully. More than 2 years after donation and transplantation, both donor and recipient were in good condition. The third patient was a 42-year-old man with a chronic hepatitis B virus infection and 2 hepatocellular carcinomas. The donor was his 34-year-old sister-in-law. The recipient developed prolonged jaundice due to stenosis at the site of the bile duct anastomosis, for which a stent was placed. He was discharged in good condition but died 11 months later of cerebral metastases. One year after the procedure, the donor was doing well. The Rotterdam liver transplantation programme with living donors demonstrates that excellent results can be accomplished with minimal risk for the donor.