Minimally Invasive Living Donor Hepatectomy

Laparoscopic approaches to complex hepatobiliary cases are becoming more commonplace. As the practice of living donor liver transplants (LDLT) has evolved into an accepted alternative for certain patients as a source of donor organs, the application of laparoscopic techniques to these operations has also been introduced with an interest in improving donor outcomes and potential appeal of the donor procedure. The scope of laparoscopy ranges from the laparoscopically assisted left or right hepatic lobectomy (“hybrid”) approach, to pure laparoscopic left lateral segments. Recently, robotic and purely laparoscopic approaches to right and left lobes have been reported by advanced minimally invasive surgeons with extensive experience in robotic and laparoscopic liver resection. Safety remains paramount to the performance of LDLT, and laparoscopic techniques must always be considered in light of optimal donor safety.