Expert Panel Statement on Laparoscopic Living Donor Hepatectomy

Background: With improvements in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) techniques and the increased experience of surgeons in laparoscopic major liver resection, laparoscopic donor hepatectomy is performed increasingly. Therefore, expert opinion on this procedure is required.

Objective: The study aimed to report the current status and summarize the expert opinion on laparoscopic donor hepatectomy.

Methods: An expert consensus meeting was held on September 8, 2016, in Seoul, Korea.

Results: Laparoscopic donor left lateral sectionectomy could be considered the standard practice in pediatric LDLT. In adult LDLT, laparoscopy-assisted donor hepatectomy or left hepatectomy is potentially the next need, requiring more evidence for becoming standard practice. Laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy is still in the developmental stage, and more supporting evidence is required. Waving the cost consideration, the robotic approach could be a valid alternative for the suitable approaches of laparoscopy.

Conclusions: Laparoscopic donor hepatectomy is increasing its role in both pediatric and adult LDLT. However, for major donor hepatectomy, more evidence is needed.