Liver Transplant

Liver Transplant

A liver transplant is a surgical procedure in which a diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver of a deceased donor or a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. People suffering from severe complications resulting from end-stage chronic liver disease are usually candidates for a liver transplant. Liver transplantation may be an option in rare cases of sudden liver failure.

Who Performs Liver Transplant? 

Liver transplants are performed by a transplant surgeon who specializes in liver transplant surgery.

Types of Liver Transplant

Types of liver transplants include:

  • Orthotopic transplant: Most liver transplants are done this way. It involves removing the entire liver of a recently deceased donor. It is usually from a donor who has consented to donate their organs before death and does not have any cancers or infectious diseases that could harm recipients.
  • Living donor transplant: A living donor transplant refers to a procedure using a living donor who is willing to donate. The surgeon removes one of the liver lobes (left or right) during the first operation.
  • Split type of liver transplant: When a liver from a recently deceased person is transplanted into two people, it is known as a split donation. It is possible if the two subsequent recipients are adults and children. The right and left lobes of the donated liver are separated. An adult is usually given the larger right lobe, while a child is generally given the smaller left lobe.
  • Auxiliary liver transplantation: It does not entirely remove the liver of the recipient. Its purpose is to keep the native liver in case spontaneous healing occurs or future gene therapy can treat hereditary or metabolic liver diseases.

Preparations Before Liver Transplant

  • Your doctor will explain the procedure. You may ask them any questions you have about the surgery.
  • You will be asked to sign a consent form that authorizes the surgery. You have the right to ask questions if something is unclear.
  • If you're having a planned living transplant, you shouldn't eat for at least 8 hours before the procedure. It means no food or drink after midnight. If a liver comes from a recently deceased donor,  you should not eat or drink it once you've been told it's available.
  • Before the surgery, you might be given a sedative that helps you relax.

Liver Transplant Benefits

Liver transplant helps save the lives of many. It can also improve the quality of life for someone with metabolic disease. Other benefits include the following:

  • Improves the quality of life.
  • Transplant recipients will be able to live a healthy life like a normal person.
  • They can also resume the normal activities of life within 6 months of the treatment

Video About Liver Transplant

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Liver Transplant

Liver Transplant Recovery

According to an estimate, around 70 percent of people who undergo liver transplants live for at least five years. Your chances of a successful liver transplant and long-term survival depend on Also, an important aspect is that people who receive a liver from a living donor have better short-term survival rates compared to those who receive a deceased-donor liver. After a liver transplant, you can expect to:

  • Stay in the intensive care unit for a few days after the transplant. 
  • Spend 5 to 10 days in the hospital and once you're stable, you're taken to a transplant recovery area to continue recuperating.
  • Have frequent checkups as you continue recovering at home. 
  • Take medications as prescribed. You'll have to take a number of medications after your liver transplant, many for the rest of your life.

In six months or more, you'll feel fully healed after your liver transplant surgery. You'll be able to resume normal activities or go back to work a few months after surgery.

How Long Does Liver Transplant Take? 

It typically takes six to twelve hours to transplant a liver since your liver is removed and replaced with a donor's.

Risks Associated With Liver Transplant

Risks associated with Liver Transplantation include:

  • Bile duct complications, including leaking bile  ducts or bile duct shrinkage
  • Bleeding
  • Blood clots
  • Failure of a donated liver
  • Infection
  • Rejection of donated liver
  • Mental confusion or seizures
  • A transplanted liver may also become infected with the liver disease over time.

After a liver transplant, you'll be required to take medicines for the rest of your life to prevent the body from rejecting the new liver. Anti-rejection medications could cause the following side effects:

  • Bone thinning
  • Diabetes
  • Diarrhea
  • Headaches
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • increased risk of infection

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to book an online surgical procedure through Marham.pk or you can also call us at 04232591427 or 0311-1222398 from 9 am - 11 pm to book an online lab test.

Cost varies depending on the type of surgery and locality.

Yes Liver Transplant surgery available in Pakistan?

There is an 89% change of living after one year. The five-year survival rate is 75%.
Patients are under observation and kept in the ICU for two days. They are kept in the hospital for 8-10 days and recovery can take upto months to feel normal again.
You can donate a part of the liver to someone else. Your liver has the capacity to regenerate after the donation.
You stay in the hospital for upto 10 days after liver surgery.
Liver transplants generally take between 4-8 hours.
You should avoid raw and undercooked meals. You should avoid eggs, meat, other fish and seafood. Do not eat any unpasteurized milk products and do not drink water from lakes and rivers.
A liver transplant is an operation in which a patient's diseased liver is replaced with a whole or partial healthy liver from a living or deceased donor. Liver transplant is a treatment option considered by those who have liver failure and whose condition can't be controlled with other with treatments.

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