In a joint effort, EASL, together with the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS) and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), is launching a survey aimed at transplant centres worldwide on the utilization of HbsAg-positive organs in adult liver transplant recipients.
The use of HbsAg-positive livers in both HbsAg-positive and -negative transplant recipients has been described in single-center studies, particularly from Asian countries. Overall, these studies have shown that this is a potentially useful strategy to overcome organ shortage, particularly in countries endemic to HBV infection.
This multi-society survey aims to understand the current status of this strategy in different areas of the world, the results and management practices when using it, and the potential obstacles to its implementation.