There is no way to cure liver cirrhosis. Any scarring that has already occurred in the liver cannot be repaired. Medication and lifestyle changes can only prevent and slow down further damage. The only way to restore normal liver functioning is through a liver transplant surgery. This involves the replacement of the patient s own liver with a donor liver. However, this surgery is considered only in cases where the condition is life-threatening. If you have severe liver damage, you should improve your overall health to be a good candidate for liver transplant surgery.
When suffering from liver cirrhosis you should
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Alcohol is one of the major causes of liver cirrhosis. Hence, if you suffer from this disease, you should quit alcohol completely. This will slow the progression of the disease and prevent further damage. However, it will not affect the damage that has already taken place. You should also avoid medication that can harm your liver.
All cirrhosis patients are good candidates for a liver transplant surgery
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A liver transplant surgery has a good success rate but not everyone can undergo this surgery. There is a long waiting list for donor livers and hence candidates must be screened. To be a good candidate, the patient must not have consumed alcohol or illegal drugs for at least 6 months. He or she should be healthy in all other aspects and should be free from infections such as hepatitis and HIV. They should also not suffer from any other form of liver disease or cancer. Be careful of vitamin supplements as large doses can harm the liver in the long run.
Common complications associated with a liver transplant surgery are
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A liver transplant surgery has a high success rate but as with all other surgical procedures, there are a few risks involved. Rejection of the donor liver and an infection are the most common complications. To keep the immune system from rejecting the donor liver, it is suppressed. This increases the patient s risk of infections. This risk lowers with time. Ask your doctor about anti-rejection medications.
A living person can be a liver donor
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The entire liver is not needed for a liver transplant. Patients with severe liver cirrhosis may find a liver donor amongst their friends and relatives or with a good Samaritan. In such cases, only a part of the liver is removed from the donor and transplanted into the patient s body. Within a few weeks, the liver in the donor s body and the patient s body will regrow to normal size. The patient must be on an active transplant list to receive a donor liver.
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