The liver can be transplanted either from the living-donor or from the deceased donor. Liver transplant surgery includes the transplantation of a part of the liver from the donor to the donee who has a damaged liver and does not function well. Living-donor liver transplant is more common especially among children as the number of liver donee are more than the available deceased donors of the liver.

Living liver donors are the alternative for the donee waiting for a liver transplant from a deceased person. The remaining liver of the living donor, after the transplant, regenerates itself and reoccurs to its usual capacity and volume within a few months post the surgery. The donated part of the liver to the donee also regenerates and restores to its normal functioning.

Most often, the living-donor of the liver is a close relative or friend. Everyone or anyone cannot donate a liver but only those can who have the matching liver depending on age, organ size, blood type, and other health and medical factors. Both the donor and the donee have to go through a thorough medical examination before the transplant to know the potential outcome and risk involved.

Procedure-
For the transplant, the donor is first operated and the required part of his/her liver is removed. The donee s damaged liver part is then replaced by the healthy liver part of the donor. Both the donor s and the donee s operated liver is then attached with the bile duct and the blood vessels. Both the patients are kept under observation for some days for the medical team to know if they are having any health issue due to the transplant. The operated liver regenerates itself within certain months and starts functioning normally.

Precautions for the Donor-
Although the donor can go back to normal life routine a few months after the transplant there are a number of precautions that should be taken into account to avoid any health issue or liver damage.
  Avoid smoking.
  Avoid consumption of alcohol.
  Eat on time or do not starve or overeat.
  Avoid having heavy meals.
  Avoid heavy exercise or weight lifting or physical work.

Take Away-
Liver transplant is a surgery conducted to remove the damaged or injured liver of the patient with the healthy liver of the donor. The donor of the liver can either be deceased or living depending upon the availability of the donor and the severity of the donee.

Various lab tests and examinations are conducted on the donor and the donee to confirm their match and assess potential complications before the transplant. The donor is usually someone close to the patient or the donee whose liver has been matched depending upon various factors. As the liver regenerates within a few months, the donor can lead a normal life after the transplant.

Know How To Choose A Liver Donor For Liver Transplant! 

Pregnancy is a time when your body undergoes a plethora of changes, both emotionally and physically. In such a situation, an acute liver failure only triggers further complications, threatening to affect both the mother and the fetus. The ambit of liver diseases range from mild complications to those that can be life threatening. Acute liver failure or ALF, as it is commonly known as in medical parlance is a condition which is caused when then there is a sudden impairment of the ability of the blood to clot. In spite of the erratic nature of the ailment and its ability to affect anybody with a complete disregard of the individual, s pre-existing history of liver problems, there are certain causes that are said to propel it. Some of them are-

Eclampsia with liver infraction: This is an extremely rare condition. Generally, eclampsia refers to the occurrence of convulsions in pregnant women, mostly in those who suffer from high blood pressure. Those women who suffer from eclampsia along with liver infraction are more susceptible to have a liver failure.
Hepatic rupture: Much like eclampsia, hepatic rupture is also caused in women who have high blood pressure. This heightens the risk of an impending liver failure in pregnant women.
Fatty liver: Sometimes excess of fat develops in the liver deterring its functioning. This is not only detrimental to your health but also poses a great danger in triggering a liver failure.
In spite of these, there have been multiple treatments which have developed to manage and curb it. Some of them are-

Remedial measure for coagulation: The inability of blood to clot blood is known as coagulation which is extremely fatal and one of the primary causes that leads to liver failure. Therefore timely and potent intervention of medicine is important to prevent that and in turn diminish the possibility of liver failure.
Volume replacement: Volume replacement refers to the condition where fluids are resuscitated or replenished into the body, those that were lost but at the same time are mandatory for the proper functioning of the body.

Acute Liver Failure in Pregnancy

Hepatic Steatosis, better known as Fatty liver is a term which describes the condition where fat gets built up in the liver. The liver is the second largest organ in the body and it plays an important function of processing everything we eat or drink and then filter out harmful elements from the blood. This process gets interrupted if there is too much in the liver. We generally call the liver as fatty, when fat accounts for more than 5 to 10 percent of the weight of your liver.

The problem of fatty liver is quite common, affecting around 10 to 20 percent of people living in America without cirrhosis or inflammation. According to the American Liver Foundation, the majority of the cases of fatty liver are detected between ages 40 and 60.

Symptoms of fatty liver
Basically one cannot associate any symptom with fatty liver, though once this situation arises, people might experience fatigue or unusual discomfort in the abdomen.
Excess fat in the liver can lead to its inflammation and in that case, you might come across symptoms such as:

You don t feel like having any food due to poor appetite
One starts to lose weight
You might experience pain in the abdomen, which tends to interfere in your passing of urine.
As there is a loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss, muscles would start feeling weak.
Due to weakness in your muscles, you would easily get tired even when you have not any work that required a lot of exertion.
Causes of fatty liver
The most common reason behind fatty liver is alcohol. On the other hand, fatty liver can also occur among people, who are non-alcoholic.
In those circumstances, the fatty liver gets developed when the body creates too much fat or is unable to metabolize fat fast enough. The excess fat gets stored in the cells of the liver where it gets accumulated to form fatty liver disease.

The common causes for fatty liver, other than alcoholism are:

Obesity: Obesity is a condition when you gained too much bodyweight through accumulation of excess body fat. This becomes a major problem which leads to other problems like fatty liver.
Diabetes: Excess amount of blood sugar in your system, which results in diabetes, raises the risk of developing fatty liver disease.
Genetic Inheritance: If you have someone in your family, father, mother or anyone else, who has suffered from this problem of fatty liver, then it s quite certain that you might also catch up with this disease.
Treatment for fatty liver
You are always at risk if you get diagnosed with the problem of the fatty liver through blood tests, MRI scan and liver biopsy. Though there is no medication or surgery possible for treating this problem a doctor would provide certain recommendations to reduce the risk factors. These include:

Limiting or complete avoidance of alcohol
Keep a check on cholesterol and reduce the intake of sugar and other saturated fatty acids
Make a genuine attempt to lose weight
Control your blood sugar by walking daily and having a restricted diet

Fatty Liver Disease - Ways It Can Be Treated!

The build-up of fat in the liver may lead to the development of a condition known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH. This condition is not related to the consumption of alcohol and the inflammation is due to the buildup of fats in the liver. In most cases, there are no symptoms till the stage when the fat deposition causes inflammation and damages the liver cells. This also hinders the normal functioning of the liver and if not treated, it may lead to an extreme condition known as cirrhosis. However, NASH does not always get worse and with some precaution, it can be treated.

The cause behind the development of this disease is not alcohol consumption and it could be some environmental factor that triggers liver inflammation or heredity might be another reason. However, the risk of developing this disease is high for people who are obese, have metabolic syndrome, have high cholesterol or are resistant to insulin.

There are hardly any symptoms of NASH that are seen in the early stage of this condition. However, at a much-progressed stage, the following symptoms may be seen:

Weight loss
Fatigue and weakness
Upper abdomen pain
Diagnosing NASH requires undergoing several tests that include a blood test, a CT scan, an MRI scan and also an abdominal ultrasound.

Benefits of Ayurvedic remedies in managing NASH



There are remedies which help in detoxification of the liver. They also enhance the body s capacity to digest fats and prevent it from accumulating in the liver.
A few remedies are rich in vitamin C content as they are very effective in treating liver problems.
Some remedies are packed with the antioxidant and vitamin C. And, it is this vitamin C that helps the liver in producing the enzyme, glutathione, which neutralizes the toxins and detoxifies the liver of all of the toxins.
Some remedies contain catechins, which are known to enhance the functioning of the liver. They are great for blocking the fat stored in the liver and works wonder in fighting against diseases associated with the fatty liver disease.
There are some fruits that are effective in treating fatty liver diseases. These fruits burn the dietary fat rapidly and also improves the functioning of the liver if consumed regularly.
Some Ayurvedic remedies are a storehouse of the fat-soluble Vitamin E, and are known to protect your liver against the accumulation of fats and will keep your liver healthy.
Apart from including these natural ingredients in your diet, you will also have to reduce your body weight, reduce cholesterol level, control your diabetes, exercise regularly and stop consuming alcohol. However, home remedies are just supportive, but not a complete line of treatment for NASH so you cannot depend completely only on them. As mentioned NASH can disturb your normal liver functioning and if not treated it can lead to liver cirrhosis so take proper Ayurvedic treatment under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) - Home Remedies That Can Help Treat It!

When there is too much accumulation of fat cells in the liver, the healthy tissue gets replaced by the fat cells resulting in fatty liver. The liver colour changes to yellowish greasy one. More than half of liver related diseases are caused due to fatty liver. Some of the common symptoms of fatty liver include excessive sweating, nausea, excess abdominal fat, itchy eyes, gallstones and fatigue. Luckily, though, a fatty liver is a reversible condition. 

Here is a list of 5 effective ways to avoid fatty liver:

Cut down on carbohydrate: Too much consumption of carbohydrate can result in fatty liver. Some of the biggest culprits are white flour and sugar related products. Since, the liver converts excess carbohydrate into fat, over consumption of food items such as pasta, potatoes, rice and breakfast cereals should be checked. A diet consisting of low carbohydrate and low fat should be designed and followed for cutting down fat in the liver.
Cut down on alcohol: Chronic alcoholism is the second biggest reason of a fatty liver. Alcohol results in damage and inflammation of the liver cells, thus infiltrating a lot of fat cells into the liver. Alcohol also restricts the process of healing. Restricting alcohol is an essential towards cutting down fat in the liver. Low-fat alcohol such as red wine and brandy can be consumed twice or thrice in a week. If a person is suffering from a chronic liver condition, a doctor should be consulted before alcohol.
Protein consumption: Breakfast should have an adequate amount of protein. It balances the blood sugar level of body, helps to fight cravings and helps the liver to detoxify foreign objects. Some good sources of protein include eggs, nuts, chicken, seeds and fish. The serving size should not be more than 4-6 ounces per day. Proper intake of protein will slowly reduce fat in the liver.
Fresh fruit and vegetable: Fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the most powerful agents in cleansing liver toxins. They have the capacity to repair liver filters and remove excess fat. Even juice of vegetables fetches excellent results in getting rid of excess fats. Fruits, on the other hand, possesses vital mineral and vitamins that are used by the liver to eradicate fat cells.
Get moving: If the endeavour is to remove fat from the liver, running and daily exercise has a pivotal role in achieving it. If a person has never worked out, a good way to start is to spend half an hour in a day running and doing free hand exercise. One can also get into a gym and try extensive cardio exercises to cut down liver fat. It is not safe to perform any high-intensity training should without an expert supervision.

Fatty Liver - 5 Ways You Can Prevent It!

Liver transplant in the only curative option available for patient who develop cirrhosis of liver due to any cause ( Chronic Hepatitis B , Chronic Hepatitis C, Alcoholic Cirrhosis, NASH etc). Once patient has been diagnosed with cirrhosis it can not be reversed with any non-surgical treatment . Over a period of time patient may develop worsening in liver function resulting in complications of cirrhosis (bloody vomitus, black stools, jaundice , altered sensorium, renal dysfunction, abdominal swelling etc) labeled as  decompensated cirrhosis . These patients require Liver transplant at the earliest and should be reffered to a liver transplant centre immediately. Ideally all patient diagnosed with cirrhosis should be under the follow-up of a gastroenterologist/Hepatologist. The source of graft liver can be from two sources namely from a deceased brain-dead donor or a Living-related donor and termed respectively as DDLT ( Deceased donor liver transplant) and LDLT ( Living Donor Liver Transplant) . However both DDLT and LDLT have nearly 90% success rate and both the procedures have their own benefits and lacunaes. Also the decision to go for DDLT and LDLT may vary for any particular patient. 

Before the Liver transplant 

All recipient and Living donor go thorough evaluation before the transplant process that includes blood investigations, Imaging studies, Cardiac and pulmonary fitness tests, multidisciplinary consultation before the clearance for liver transplant is achieved. The healthcare provider will explain the entire procedure. The healthcare provider is also supposed to answer all your questions. You would be needed to sign a consent form that allows the doctor to do the surgery. Eating food is not allowed at least 8 hours before the surgery. If you cannot stay relaxed before the surgery, a sedative will be given. 

After the Liver Tranplsant 
The recipient surgery lasts for anywhere between 12-16 hrs and donor surgery for 8-12 hrs. After the surgical procedure is complete, you will be taken to the intensive care unit (ICU)and will be closely watched for several days. 

Immediately After the Surgery 
You will most likely have a tube in your throat. This is so that you can breathe with the help of a machine (a ventilator) until you can breathe on your own. The ventilator tube will be removed on next morning when all parameters are found to be satisfactory. All parameters are monitored by round the clock critical care doctors and staff for a few days. The recipient has to stay in the hospital for three weeks and the donor is discharged in one week. 

Blood samples will be collected on a regular basis to check the functioning of the new liver. Antibiotics will be infused via IV channels to prevent you from infections. The area where the operation was done should always be kept clean after you have reached home. Any stitches or surgical sutures will be removed at a follow-up visit.

Complications that may arise 
Blocked blood vessels to the new liver, bleeding, an infection, leakage of bile or blocked bile ducts, or the new liver not working for a short time right after surgery are a few complications that may arise. Not to aggravate the condition, in the case of a complication, it is imperative to visit your doctor.

Liver Transplant - What To Expect Before & After The Procedure?

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