The November issue of Transplantation, the official Journal of ILTS and the Transplantation Society is out now.
Free access for ILTS members!
Article selections by Ryan Chadra, Dhupal Patel, Nicholas Syn, Alessandra Mazzola, Beth Wilson, Jiang Liu, Carmen Vinaixa, Madhukar Patel, and Abdul Hakeem.

HEPATOLOGY

Liver Transplantation 
Transplant center variability in utilizing non-standard donors and its impact on transplantation of patients with lower MELD scores
There is a subset of patients with lower MELD scores who are at substantial risk of waitlist mortality. In order to transplant such patients, transplant centers must utilize “non-standard” donors (e.g., living donors, donation after circulatory death) which are traditionally offered to those patients who are not at the top of the waitlist. More

HPB (Oxford)
Randomized controlled trial of sustained release tacrolimus vs twice daily tacrolimus in adult living donor liver transplantation
Background: To compare the safety and efficacy of once-daily tacrolimus (ODT) versus twice-daily tacrolimus (BDT) in adult live donor liver transplantation (LDLT). More

Liver Transplantation 
National survey of second opinions for hospitalized patients in need of liver transplantation
Decisions about patient candidacy for liver transplant (LT) can mean the difference between life and death. We surveyed LT centers across the United States to assess their perceptions of and barriers to second-opinion referrals for inpatients declined for transplant. More

SURGERY

Liver Transplantation 
Hepatic venous outflow obstruction after adult living donor liver transplantation
Hepatic venous outflow obstruction (HVOO) is a rare but critical vascular complication after adult living donor liver transplantation. We categorized HVOOs according to their morphology (anastomotic stenosis, kinking, and intrahepatic stenosis) and onset (early-onset < 3 mo vs. late-onset ≥ 3 mo). More

Liver Transplantation 
A Modified liver donor risk index for pediatric liver transplant recipients
The Liver Donor Risk Index (LDRI) was developed by Feng et. al. to predict the quality of donor liver allografts. However, there is currently no literature documenting the application and efficacy of Feng’s LDRI specifically for the pediatric population. The goal of our study is to apply Feng’s LDRI to our study population as well as develop a pediatric-specific LDRI. More

Transplantation
Hilar Anatomy in 3035 Living Liver Donors: A Novel Classification for Donor Surgery and Suitability, Hepatic Surgeries, and Hepatobiliary Interventions
Background: This study examines the vascular and biliary variations in 3035 liver donors. We propose a novel classification of hepatic arteries, portal veins, and bile ducts and clinically relevant donor classification. More

ANESTHESIA AND CRITICAL CARE

Transplantation
Risk Factors for Early Fungal Disease in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Background: Invasive fungal infections are associated with high morbidity in solid organ transplant recipients. Risk factor modification may help with preventative efforts. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for the development of fungal infections within the first year following solid organ transplant. More

Transfusion
Predictors of intraoperative massive transfusion in orthotopic liver transplantation
Background: Although transfusion management has improved during the last decade, orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has been associated with considerable blood transfusion requirements which poses some challenges in securing blood bank inventories. Defining the predictors of massive blood transfusion before surgery will allow the blood bank to better manage patients’ needs without delays. We evaluated the predictors of intraoperative massive transfusion in OLT. More

Crit Care Explor
Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System for Acute Liver Failure in a New Pediatric-Based Extracorporeal Liver Support Program
Importance: Acute liver failure (ALF) carries significant morbidity and mortality, for both pediatric and adult patients. Albumin dialysis via the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is a form of extracorporeal liver support (ELS) that can reduce hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a main driver of mortality in ALF. However, data on MARS and its benefit on mortality have been inconsistent. More