Donor-recipient matching in adult liver transplantation: Current status and advances
Caterina Accardo, Ivan Vella, Duilio Pagano, Fabrizio di Francesco, Sergio Li Petri, Sergio Calamia, Pasquale Bonsignore, Alessandro Tropea, Salvatore Gruttadauria
Abstract
The match between donor and recipient (D-R match) in the field of liver transplantation (LT) is one of the most widely debated topics today. Within the cohort of patients waiting for a transplant, better matching of the donor organ to the recipient will improve transplant outcomes, and benefit the waiting list by minimizing graft failure and the need for re-transplantation. In an era of suboptimal matches due to the sparse organ pool and the increase in extended criteria donors (ECD), ensuring adequate outcomes becomes the primary goal for clinicians in the field. The objective of this mini-review is to analyze the main variables in the evaluation of the D-R match to ensure better outcomes, the existence of scores that can help in the realization of this match, and the latest advances made thanks to the technology and development of artificial intelligence (AI).