Quick Facts About Liver Transplant!

The liver is a key metabolic organ and plays a vital role in digestion and absorption of foods. It can be severely diseased or injured due to various causes listed below, and one of the definitive measures of an injured or a diseased liver is a liver transplant. A liver transplant involves removing the failed liver and replacing it with a healthy liver from a donor.

Some reasons requiring liver transplant include:

• Alcoholic liver disease
• Liver cancers or tumors
• Fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH)
• Severe hepatitis C
• Severe alcoholic cirrhosis
• Biliary atresia in children
• Acute liver failure

Some of the symptoms that indicate liver failure are:

• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in the vomit
• Fluid accumulation in the abdomen (ascites)
• Jaundice
• Mental confusion
• Tendency to bleed even from minor wounds

There are primarily two types of liver transplant:

• Deceased donor transplants: In a person who is brain dead, the liver can be removed and transplanted into a person who needs a transplant. The entire liver is usually transplanted.
• Living donor transplant: A liver is known for its regenerative properties, and in some people, a part of the liver can be removed and transplanted into another, usually a close family member. The replaced part grows into a full-size liver over a period of time and becomes fully functional.

Anyone with severe liver cirrhosis with a life expectancy of less than a year is usually required to undergo a liver transplant. In terms of survival rates, here are some statistics:

• After a year, more than 90% survive a liver transplant.
• After 5 years, more than 85% survive a liver transplant.
• After 10 years, more than 75% survive a liver transplant.

It is not uncommon for people to survive for more than 10 to 15 years, if they maintain regular follow up and discipline.

Factors affecting survival rates
The overall health status of an individual determines the success rate of a liver transplant. The following are considered to bring down the survival rates:

• Critical illness
• Malnourishment
• Active infection
• Other organ damage such as a kidney failure

Most liver failures start as hepatitis, and when diagnosed early, treatment can be done effectively. However, if left untreated, it can lead to cirrhosis which then requires a liver transplant in most cases.

Evaluation before transplant
A detailed recipient evaluation is done to confirm that liver transplant is indeed required to improve success rates. The following factors are determined:

• Diagnosis and severity of the condition
• Urgency of the transplant
• Overall health status
• Emotional preparation for a transplant

The patient is then placed on the list for a cadaveric transplant. Alternately, if a donor is available, the donor evaluation and transplant is done.