Journal of KIST Medical College
Outcome of Living Donor Liver Transplantation at a Transplant Center in Nepal
By Ashish Bhatta, Aayush Bist, Akanand Singh and 2 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Liver transplantation represents a life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease. In resource-limited settings like Nepal, establishing such programs faces significant hurdles, including infrastructure, expertise, and costs. KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital initiated its living donor liver transplantation program in 2023, becoming one of the pioneering centers in the country. This retrospective observational case series documents the early clinical experiences and outcomes of 13 LDLT cases performed between 2023 and 2025 by a primarily national team with targeted collaboration from Apollo Hospitals, India, highlighting the feasibility of domestic LDLT to improve access and reduce overseas referrals.
Methods
Data were retrospectively collected from hospital records, operative notes, and follow-up documentation for cases from 2023 to 2025. Primary outcomes: 30-day and 90-day patient survival, 1-year graft survival, major complication rate. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay (LOS), re-exploration, biliary/vascular complications, infectious complications, donor morbidity, donor return to work. Median follow-up: 18 months (range 6–30 months), with all surviving patients ?6 months documented follow-up. Key variables included recipient and donor demographics, indications, MELD/CTP scores, graft characteristics, operative details, LOS, return to work, complications, graft function, and survival.