To expand the donor liver pool, ways are sought to better define the limits of marginally transplantable organs. The Donor Risk Index (DRI) lists 7 donor characteristics, together with cold ischemia time and location of the donor, as risk factors for graft failure. We hypothesized that donor hepatic steatosis is an additional independent risk factor. We analyzed the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for all adult liver transplants performed from October 1, 2003, through February 6, 2008, with grafts from deceased donors to identify donor characteristics and procurement logistics parameters predictive of decreased graft survival. A proportional hazard model of donor variables, including percent steatosis from higher-risk donors, was created with graft survival as the primary outcome. Of 21,777 transplants, 5051 donors had percent macrovesicular steatosis recorded on donor liver biopsy. Compared to the 16,726 donors with no recorded liver biopsy, the donors with biopsied livers had a higher DRI, were older and more obese, and a higher percentage died from anoxia or stroke than from head trauma. The donors whose livers were biopsied became our study group. Factors most strongly associated with graft failure at 1 year after transplantation with livers from this high-risk donor group were donor age, donor liver macrovesicular steatosis, cold ischemia time, and donation after cardiac death status. In conclusion, in a high-risk donor group, macrovesicular steatosis is an independent risk factor for graft survival, along with other factors of the DRI including donor age, donor race, donation after cardiac death status, and cold ischemia time. As attempts have been made to expand the donor pool, defining the limitations of marginal organs for liver transplantation has become more refined and more critical. Many investigators have examined the variables associated with patient and graft outcome after liver transplantation. The variables can be categorized into: donor factors, procurement logistics, recipient factors, and operative factors. Having a clear understanding of the donor factors and procurement logistics factors can improve recipient selection, organ allocation, and potentially patient and graft survival.The Donor Risk Index (DRI) developed in 2006 by Feng et al. 29 contains 7 donor and 2 procurement characteristics (including cold ischemia time [CIT]) that predict an increased risk of graft failure. The objective and quantitative nature of the DRI enables frank discussion between transplant staff and potential recipients regarding the risks involved with prospective donor organs. Importantly, the factors required to determine the DRI are known, and the CIT can be estimated at the time of the organ offer, allowing responsible assessment by transplant staff and Abbreviations: DRI, Donor Risk

Controversies exist regarding the morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing liver transplantation at the extremes of the body mass index (BMI ; severely obese, 35 to Ͻ40 kg/m 2 ; and very severely obese, Ն40 kg/m 2 . Survival rates were compared among these 6 categories via Kaplan-Meier survival curves with the log-rank test. The underweight and very severely obese groups had significantly lower survival. There were 1827 patients in the underweight group, 1447 patients in the very severely obese group, and 68,172 patients in the other groups, which became the control. Groups with extreme BMI (Ͻ18.5 and Ն40) were compared to the control to assess significant differences. Underweight patients were more likely to die from hemorrhagic complications (P Ͻ 0.002) and cerebrovascular accidents (P Ͻ 0.04). When compared with the control, the very severely obese patients had a higher number of infectious complications and cancer events (P ϭ 0.02) leading to death. In 3 different eras of liver transplantation, multivariable analysis showed that underweight and very severe obesity were significant predictors of death. In conclusion, liver transplantation holds increased risk for patients at the extremes of BMI. Identifying these patients and instituting aggressive new policies may improve outcomes. Liver Transpl 15:968-977, 2009.

Portal vein blood flow is a significant predictor of survival after liver transplantation. Initially, the liver's survival is based on portal vein blood flow; however, subsequent biliary problems and patient demise result from both poor portal vein and inadequate hepatic artery blood flow.

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The prognostic ability of the BALI 4-variable model was similar to the Ranson, Glasgow, and APACHE II systems but is unique in its simplicity and ability to accurately predict disease severity when used at admission or anytime during the first 48 hours of hospitalization.