Liver transplant is the second most common type of
transplant surgery performed, with the first one being kidney transplants. With
the advancements in medical technologies, the transplant procedures have become
simpler and less risky.
What is
liver transplantation?
Liver
transplantation involves surgical removal of the severely diseased liver that
has no hope of regeneration and replacing it with a healthy donor liver or a
portion of it.
Liver transplant
surgery is recommended for people with severe liver conditions since it can
save the life of the patient or improve the quality of life. Though liver
transplants come with significant risks and complications, it has a very high
success rate.
Types of
liver transplants
There are two types
of liver transplants depending on the type of donor.
Deceased
Donor Liver Transplant (DDLT)
- This
involves obtaining a healthy liver from a brain-dead person. This person might
have donated his/her organs previous to his/her death, or consent would be
received from the family members for organ donation later.
Live Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT)
- Liver
is a regenerative organ which means that it can replace the lost tissues by
growing the remaining ones. Thus a part of a healthy liver from a living
patient can be used as transplant and is completely safe for the donor and the
recipient. There is no need for lifelong medications, and women can have normal
pregnancy and motherhood.
- The
live donor is usually a blood relative or spouse of the patient. A detailed
evaluation of the prospective donor is done to ensure minimize the health risks
involved and help in complete recovery.
What
does liver transplant involve?
First
stage
A
team of specialists will first evaluate the patient with a review of medical
history and other investigations to determine whether liver transplant is the
best option or if there is a different option.
Second
stage
If
the patient is found to be suitable for liver transplant, we proceed to the
second stage. In this stage, the patient’s name is placed on the waiting list,
and the priority is determined on the scoring system based on the medical
criteria and severity of the condition.
Third
stage
This
is when the donor becomes available, and the patient is contacted and informed
about the donor’s medical condition. If the patient consents for the
transplant, some basic tests are repeated to ensure the safety of his/her
condition. After this, surgeons and anesthetists involved in the transplant
will meet the patient and brief him/her about the procedure. If the test
results are satisfactory, we then proceed to surgery.
Also Read: Liver Diseases –
Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Liver transplant
procedure
Usually, the liver
transplant procedure takes about 8 to 12 hours to complete, after which the
patient is shifted to ICU. The patient might want to stay there for 3 to 7
days, but these aspects of the surgery might differ according to his/her
condition.
After the patient is
moved to ICU, many tubes are connected to his/her body to carry out the natural
functions which are removed when deemed appropriate. After this, the patient is
shifted to the room for 2-3 weeks, and thus in total, the patient might want to
stay for 3-4 weeks in the hospital for the entirety of the procedure.
Liver
transplant – discharge and recovery
Once the patient is
regarded as stable by the doctors, he/she can be discharged from the hospital.
But a follow-up schedule is recommended for the patient to ensure complete
recovery. The patients and the family members are educated about the
medications and necessary precautions before discharge. The dose of medications
will reduce with time, and the pace of recovery depends on several factors.
Usually, a patient is expected to resume daily activities within a month and go
back to work after 3 months after the liver transplant surgery.
Liver Transplant in
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