Donor Evaluation Protocol
Turkish Ministry of Health allows living organ donation from the first to fourth relatives of the recipient. Any relative beyond the fourth degree or non-next of kin donor (samaritan donors) are evaluated by the state ethic committee in order to rule out commercial organ donation. Our detailed donor evaluation scheme and information regarding our aborted donor hepatectomies were emphasized in a recent study from our institute. 4 Currently, LLDs are chosen among individuals aged between 18 to 60 years of age with normal renal and liver functions. However, in the early years of our experience, donors ≥ 60 years old were used. The individuals must also have negative viral serology (except for those individuals that have antibody against the hepatitis B core antigen) and matched blood group compatible. We routinely perform multi-detector computerized tomography to determine the volume of the graft and the future remnant liver, to delineate the vascular anatomy of the intended vascular graft. Also, we routinely perform magnetic resonance assisted cholangiography and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the biliary anatomy and the quality of the liver parenchyma.