Living donor liver transplantation is a complex procedure that saves lives by meeting the growing demand for organs. This technique relies on a remarkable capacity of the liver: its ability to regenerate after partial removal. In healthy donors, the liver can regain up to 155% of its original volume within two years, with a higher regeneration rate in the first few months. Donors who have undergone right lobe removal show faster and more significant regeneration than those who have lost the left lobe, as the remaining lobe is smaller and must compensate for a larger volume.<\/p>\n
In recipients, graft regeneration is faster initially, peaking at two to three months, then slows down. Their liver reaches an average of 80% of its estimated volume after two years. This difference is explained by the metabolic urgency the recipient’s body must face after the transplant. Their liver must quickly adapt to meet vital needs, often compromised by pre-existing liver disease.<\/p>\n
The size of the remaining liver after surgery directly influences regeneration: the smaller this volume, the more intense the regeneration. Optimal pre-operative liver function, indicated by low levels of enzymes such as transaminases, also promotes this process. Conversely, high levels of these enzymes, a sign of an already weakened liver, can limit regeneration capacity.<\/p>\n
Another observed phenomenon is the reduction in spleen volume in recipients. This decrease, averaging 11% after one year, is linked to the normalization of portal pressure after the transplant. The spleen, often enlarged before the procedure due to portal hypertension, sees its volume gradually decrease. This reduction is more pronounced in patients with a very large spleen before the transplant or low blood platelet counts, a sign of significant sequestration in the spleen.<\/p>\n
Body composition also plays a key role. Greater muscle mass and better muscle quality stimulate liver regeneration. Conversely, excess visceral fat or sarcopenia\u2014loss of muscle mass and strength\u2014can slow this process. In donors, better muscle condition is associated with faster regeneration, while in recipients, reduced muscle mass limits this capacity.<\/p>\n
Men appear to benefit from faster regeneration than women, although the exact reasons remain unclear. This could be related to greater nutritional reserves or different metabolic needs. However, this observation requires further studies to be confirmed.<\/p>\n
Finally, this study shows that liver regeneration depends not only on the size of the graft or the remaining liver but also on the patient’s overall metabolic environment. The liver interacts with other organs such as the spleen and responds to systemic signals, such as inflammation or nutritional status. Thus, even if the liver does not always regain its original volume, it can regain normal function, which is the primary goal of the transplant.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s00261-026-05567-1<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Liver regeneration after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT)<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> Abdominal Radiology<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Annarita Pecchi; Francesca Camaione; Barbara Catellani; Martina Susi; Riccardo Cuoghi Costantini; Roberto D\u2019Amico; Francesco Prampolini; Fabrizio Di Benedetto; Stefano Di Sandro; Pietro Torricelli<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The liver regenerates differently in donors and recipients of transplants Living donor liver transplantation is a complex procedure that saves lives by meeting the growing demand for organs. This technique relies on a remarkable capacity of the liver: its ability to regenerate after partial removal. In healthy donors, the liver can regain up to 155%… Continue reading The liver regenerates differently in donors and recipients of transplants<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-environment","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61\/revisions\/62"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themedicinereview.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}