Transplanted livers can keep working for a total of over 100 years

Liver transplants from older donors have lasted up to 108 years, and survive longer than those from younger donors, raising questions about whether young livers really should be preferred   

By Carissa Wong

Livers transplanted from older donors can last a century in total and sometimes outlive ones from younger donors.

Transplanting livers from older donors after they die is generally avoided because livers tend to accumulate more scarring over time, caused by factors such as drinking alcohol, obesity and viral infections.

Now researchers have provided evidence that transplants from older donors can work very well.

Christine Hwang and Yash Kadakia at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and their colleagues analysed data covering …