Eight cases of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) were experienced at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Four cases were from donors whose organs were procured following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (uncontrolled NHBD), and the remaining four hepatic allografts were recovered after sustained cardiopulmonary arrest following extubation in an operating room (controlled NHBD). After OLT from uncontrolled NHBDS, two allografts failed due to preservation injury and hepatic arterial thrombosis, and one showed poor allograft function. In contrast, all four grafts from controlled NHBDs survived and functioned well worked postoperatively. Hepatic allografts from controlled NHBDs is considered to be useful in OLT, especially in Japan where there is a serious brain-dead donor shortage.