Selective splenectomy centered on graft-to-spleen volume ratio is a practical option in living donor liver transplantation to prevent early allograft dysfunction: A prospective validation study.

While simultaneous splenectomy (SPX) is an option in selected cases of living donor liver transplantation to protect graft function, the graft-to-spleen volume ratio (GSVR) may serve as a new determinant of SPX. A prospective validation study was conducted to test our institutional strategy of SPX, based mainly on GSVR, which has been employed since 2019. This prospective study enrolled 141 recipients of living donor liver transplantation from 2019 to 2024. SPX was indicated for GSVR ≤0.70 and high-risk patients (ABO-incompatibility or donor age ≥45 y) with a final portal venous pressure >15 mm Hg. Surgical outcomes related to graft function were evaluated and compared between the group with SPX (n=51), the group without SPX (n=90), and the historical control group without SPX despite GSVR of ≤0.70 (from 2007 to 2018, n=33). Risk factors for early allograft dysfunction (EAD) in the modern era were also investigated. Low GSVR indicated 88.2% (45 out of 51) of SPX in the prospective cohort. The historical group (no-SPX despite GSVR ≤0.70) showed an increased incidence of EAD with posttransplant thrombocytopenia, cholestasis, coagulopathy, and massive ascites. In contrast, these adverse events decreased significantly after the introduction of the new selective SPX protocol, with comparable results between the SPX and no-SPX groups in the prospective cohort. The MELD score was the only indicator of EAD in the multivariable analysis after 2019. Selective SPX centered on GSVR is a feasible and practical option in living donor liver transplantation to screen out high-risk recipients and improve their graft function for EAD prevention.