In the scope of the pediatric liver transplant program, the Unit provides care for children and adolescents affected by:
Cholestatic cirrhosis
Cirrhosis of other etiologies
Metabolic diseases
Liver tumors
Acute liver failure
The Unit performs liver transplants using a variety of techniques and graft types, including whole liver, reduced-size graft, split liver, and living donor transplantation. Between 1999 and 2025, a total of 325 pediatric liver transplants were performed.
Pediatric patients have also access to combined kidney-liver or liver-intestinal transplants.
Living donor pediatric liver transplant
IRCCS ISMETT operates a pediatric living donor liver transplant program. Between 1999 and 2025, 125 transplants of this kind have been performed, confirming this to be a valuable therapeutic option for children who cannot afford to manage long waiting times.. In most cases, a small portion of the liver is donated by a family member, often a parent or a close relative.
The benefits for the child are numerous. In general, the postoperative course is smoother and typically involves a hospital stay of approximately three weeks.
At IRCCS ISMETT, three-year graft and patient survival rate following transplant are 100%..
Living donor liver transplantation allows to perform the procedure when the child needs the new organ, without having to wait on the transplant list, and without the risk of the child’s condition worsening, which could make the procedure more complex and increase the likelihood of complications.
From a surgical perspective, pediatric living-donor liver transplants involve removing the left portion of the donor’s liver and transplanting it into the child.
Living donation is possible thanks to the liver’s unique ability to regenerate. Within a few weeks, the liver returns to its pre-transplant size in both the donor and the recipient.
The average length of hospital stay for children undergoing a living donor liver transplant is approximately 6 to 8 days. Last year, IRCCS ISMETT was the leading center in Italy for number of pediatric living donor liver transplants performed..
