Liver transplant

Overview

A liver transplant is a medical procedure that involves the removal of a failed liver and transplanting a healthy liver at the site. The healthy liver is either taken from a donor or a deceased person’s body.

Severe liver complications or end-stage liver diseases that are not treatable are taken care of by a liver transplant procedure. After all, it is one of the most important organs in the human body that plays a vital role in eliminating toxins and bacteria from the body; making proteins for blood clots; processing medications, hormones and nutrients; regulating immune system and preventing infections.

More often, a living-donor liver transplant is considered a better alternative to a deceased-donor liver. This is because after a portion of the donor’s liver is taken for transplanting into the recipient’s body, the remaining donor’s liver regenerates and gets back to normal capacity and volume shortly after the surgery. Thus, the donor faces no health issues after donating a part of his/her liver, and the recipient also experiences normal liver functions after the procedure.

Living-donor liver transplant is a very common treatment option among children requiring a transplant. It is also the most preferred choice among adults as well because having a living-donor liver helps combat any health complications associated with the procedure. Before liver transplant procedure, there are certain preparations to be taken care of.

Before the treatment

• Both the recipient and the donor have to undergo thorough psychological and physical evaluations in a reputed transplant centre.
• There are several transplant teams at the centre who will check and assess the condition of the recipient and the donor and will discuss about the potential risks and benefits of the liver transplant procedure.
• The matching between the donor and the recipient’s liver is based on age, size of the organ, blood type and other factors.
• Since the donor has to give a portion of his/her liver to the recipient for the liver transplant procedure, there are certain risks associated with the donor.

How it is performed

A liver transplant surgery is a long procedure that may take up to 12 hours.

• On the day of the liver transplant surgery, the donor is first taken to the operation room, where surgeons remove a portion of his liver after putting him into sleep with general anaesthesia.
• In the next step, the surgeons perform another major surgery on the recipient. After the patient is put to sleep with general anaesthesia, the diseased liver is removed, and the healthy portion of the recipient’s liver is connected with bile ducts and blood vessels.
• The portion of liver transplanted in the recipient and the part of the liver left behind in the donor’s body get regenerated, reaching the normal function, volume and size of the liver within a couple of months.

Those who receive a living-donor’s liver enjoy major benefits that include shorter wait for a new liver, greater success rate and lesser chance of getting sick than getting a deceased donor’s liver.

Recovery

After liver transplant procedure, patients are transferred to the intensive care unit where they are constantly kept under observation for two consecutive days. Then, they are shifted to a normal chamber where they are kept for another 8-9 days. If the condition is stable, they are allowed to go home. However, it is normal to not feel good for at least 3 months after the procedure, during which patients are required to take all prescribed medications.

Those receiving a liver transplant surgery from a living donor can enjoy better short-term survival rates than those who receive the organ from a deceased donor. The survival rate of liver transplant, however, relies on the patient’s overall health and condition.