# From Donor to Athlete: A Case Study on Post-surgery Return to Sport Following Open Living Liver Donation

## TL;DR

This case study follows a high-level athlete's recovery and return to sports after donating part of their liver.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a structured four-phase return to sport protocol for athletes after living liver donation.

## Key findings

- A structured return to sport protocol was successfully implemented for a liver donor athlete.
- The athlete returned to competitive NCAA Division I soccer following the protocol.

## Abstract

Living organ donation in high-level athletes is rare, and literature documenting return to sport protocols for these individuals is lacking.

This case report details the experience of a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I soccer player who underwent living donor hepatectomy and cholecystectomy and documents their return to sport. In this paper, we outline the structured four-phase return to sport protocol that was developed and implemented to support the athlete’s recovery and return to competitive Division I play.