Mayo Clinic performs its first paired living liver donation

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Mayo Clinic performs its first paired living liver donation
Heather Carlson Kehren

Surgeons recently performed Mayo Clinic's first paired living liver donation, a significant first step in helping more people with liver failure get a lifesaving transplant.

"Liver transplantation is the only treatment option for most people with end-stage liver disease. But sadly, there are not enough donated livers available for everyone who needs one. That is why living liver donation is so important," says Timucin Taner, M.D., Ph.D., division chair of Transplant Surgery at Mayo Clinic who led the team that completed the clinic's first paired liver donation.

People can donate up to 70% of their liver because the liver has the unique ability to regenerate itself within a month. While paired living donation is commonly used for kidney transplants, it is relatively rare for liver transplants. Sometimes a potential donor who wants to give to a family member or friend isn't the best match for that recipient. In those situations, paired donation is considered. Donors and recipients are matched with other donors and recipients, creating a so-called "liver chain." In the case of Mayo Clinic's first paired liver donation, altruistic donor Michael Broeker, M.D., agreed to give a portion of his liver to a stranger, helping to kick-start the swap. He had previously donated a kidney and wanted to do more.
"I knew I wanted to be a living liver donor to help someone else. I was excited to have the opportunity to be a part of Mayo Clinic's first paired liver donation," says Dr. Broeker, of Eagan, Minnesota.