How to Preserve Steatotic Liver Grafts for Transplantation
Damiano Patrono, Nicola De Stefano, Elena Vissio, Ana Lavinia Apostu, Nicoletta Petronio, Giovanni Vitelli, Giorgia Catalano, Giorgia Rizza, Silvia Catalano, Fabio Colli, Luigi Chiusa, Renato Romagnoli
Abstract
Liver allograft steatosis is a significant risk factor for postoperative graft dysfunction and has been associated with inferior patient and graft survival, particularly in the case of moderate or severe macrovesicular steatosis. In recent years, the increasing incidence of obesity and fatty liver disease in the population has led to a higher proportion of steatotic liver grafts being used for transplantation, making the optimization of their preservation an urgent necessity. This review discusses the mechanisms behind the increased susceptibility of fatty livers to ischemia-reperfusion injury and provides an overview of the available strategies to improve their utilization for transplantation, with a focus on preclinical and clinical evidence supporting donor interventions, novel preservation solutions, and machine perfusion techniques.