Frequently Asked Questions on Liver Care

1. Why liver is an important organ of the body?

The liver is one of the largest organs in your body. It helps digest the food you eat and convert it into energy. It also helps fight infections and cleans your blood, thus making it a very vital organ.

2. How lifestyle can affect health of liver?

Due to our changing life style patterns, alcohol is consumed either as a status symbol or to cope up with stress. Alcohol puts a lot of stress on the liver, such continuous state of stress usually results in liver damage.

3. What are the different common diseases related to liver?

Cirrhosis, Viral hepatitis (Most common form across the world are Hepatitis A, B & C), fatty liver disease and alcoholic liver disorders are the common disease of liver.

4. What is a liver transplant and why is it done?

Simply put ‘Liver Transplantation’ is surgery to remove a diseased or injured liver and replace it with a healthy one from another person, also called as a donor.In adults, the most common reason for needing a liver transplant is ‘Cirrhosis’. This is caused by various different types of diseases which destroy the healthy liver cells and replace them with scar tissues.

5. What are the types of liver transplants?

There are two types of liver transplants – Living Donor and Deceased Donor Transplants. In case of the 'living donor' Liver Transplant, a portion of Liver from the living donor is removed and transplanted in the recipient patient. In both recipient and donor,the liver regenerates to necessary size in about 6 to 8 weeks. Only near relatives can donate. In deceased donor liver transplants, the donor is a brain dead person.

6. How much time is needed for a patient to recover after liver transplant?

Recovery time ranges from 1 to 2 weeks. Proper care, follow-up and life-long medications are required for the new Liver to function properly.

7. Can liver grow back to normal after the transplant?

Yes. Liver is the only organ which can regenerate in case of living donor liver transplant, a portion of liver from the living donor is removed and transplanted in recipient patient. In both recipient and donor, liver regenerates to necessary size in 6-8 weeks. Only near relatives can donate liver in this case.

8. What does Sahyadri Hospital has in offering for Liver care?

Sahyadri Hospitals has an A-Z Liver Wellness Clinic dedicated for the management of all types of diseases related to Liver, Pancreas, Bile ducts & Gall bladder. It Offers state-of-the-art facilities for Liver, Kidney & Pancreas Transplant with 24/7 availability of dedicated multi-disciplinary ‘Liver Team’, including Hepatologist, Critical Care Physicians and Liver Transplant Surgeons, a well-equipped Intensive care unit with dedicated nurses, physiotherapist and nutritionist. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can ask a free question.