In Japan, cadaveric donor liver transplantation is not common even though cadaveric organ transplantation was legally established in 1998. In contrast, the number of living donor liver transplantations is increasing, with more than 1700 cases at 43 Japanese institutes by November 2001. Indications for and have become living donor liver transplantation are widening in Japan similar to those for cadaveric donor liver transplantation in the United States and Europe. At the same time, split liver transplantation from cadaveric donors shares some technical aspects with living donor liver...