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Background With an increasing shortage of deceased donors for liver transplantation, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) poses a valuable alternative. Therefore, it is important to investigate the risks healthy donors face during and after this procedure. We investigated complications and their impact on long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical and mental functioning. Methods Thirty-three out of 51 Belgian liver donors who underwent a donor hepatectomy at the Ghent University Hospital from 1/1/2000 – 31/12/2015 consented to participate. Blood samples, a liver ultrasound, a clinical examination by a liver surgeon, and a socio-psychological interview supervised by a transplant psychologist were conducted. Additionally, participants completed a survey that examined the HRQoL (SF-36 and EQ-5D-3L), Depression, anxiety and stress (DASS), and donor experiences. Fischer’s exact, Mann-Whitney-U test, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used, and statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0. Results Donor complications were recorded in 24.8% without relation to long-term mental QoL and physical symptoms. Type of lobe donation had no significant effect on HRQoL, mood, anxiety and stress, and complications. Recipient complications and death, negative mood, anxiety, and stress were found to be related to a lower donor physical and mental HRQoL. Patients donating to pediatric recipients scored significantly better for mental and physical HRQoL. Conclusions Generally, donor experience is positive, with own complications having no lasting effect on QoL and mental health, however, complications in the recipient are more difficult to cope with and impact the mental HRQoL of the donor. LDLT in Belgium is ready to be standardized care for end-stage liver disease.

Illness cognitions regarding helplessness and acceptance are known to play a role in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our study examined the evolution of these illness cognitions and the physical (PQoL) and mental QoL (MQoL) in liver transplantation (LT) patients over time in relation to pre- and postoperative clinical factors.We performed an analytical cross-sectional study using self-report questionnaires at 4 timeframes: preLT, postLTPostLT patients showed significant less helplessness and more acceptance cognitions. PQoL and MQoL decreased postLT

Soft tissue tumors are part of a wide and sometimes rare differential diagnostic landscape. Case description of these rare soft tissue masses helps the future differentiation and aids in preoperative multidisciplinary approach. Interpretation and staging, with the help of imaging, is key.

The prevalence of obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen dramatically over the past decades. At present, bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for this global health problem, through effects on food intake, gut hormone secretion, metabolic signaling pathways, and adipose tissue dysfunction. The liver occupies a central role in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism. Notably, a reduction in hepatic fat content and an improvement in hepatic insulin resistance are among the earliest beneficial effects of bariatric surgery, which has therefore emerged as an attractive treatment option for NAFLD. However, as the scope and popularity of weight loss surgery have expanded, new questions have arisen regarding its safety in patients with liver cirrhosis, the outcome of liver transplantation in patients with a history of bariatric surgery, and over incidental reports of liver failure following surgery. Studies in humans and rodents have also linked bariatric surgery to an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder, a major risk factor for liver disease. This review integrates data from clinical and translational research to delineate both the beneficial impact of bariatric surgery on the liver and the potential risks involved.