Liver Transplant

The removal of a diseased liver and replacement with a healthy liver from a donor who has died. In some cases, a portion of the liver of a living, related donor may be used.

Parts of the Body Involved

  • Abdomen
  • Liver
  • Blood vessels and bile ducts attached to the liver

Reasons for Procedure

A liver transplant is done to treat end-stage liver failure, which may be caused by:
  • Cirrhosis
  • Hepatitis
  • Congenital defects (such as biliary atresia)
  • Liver tumors (cancerous or benign)
  • Metabolic defects (such as Wilson's disease)
  • Poisoning or drug-induced damage

Risk Factors for Complications during the Procedure

  • Infancy
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Poor nutrition
  • Recent or chronic illness
  • Use of certain medications
  • Serious heart, lung, or kidney disease
  • Diabetes
  • Cancer
  • Infection (osteomyelitis, tuberculosis)
  • Liver disease caused by alcoholism

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

Because of a shortage of donors, you may be on a transplant list for some time. You may need to carry a pager or cellular phone at all times so that the transplant team can reach you if a donor liver becomes available.

Your doctor will likely do the following:
  • Physical exam
  • Blood test
  • Chest x-ray
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

Outcome

Recovery time varies and may depend, in part, on your overall health before the transplant. Most patients are able to return to normal or near-normal activities 6 to 12 months after transplantation.

To reduce the chance that your body will reject the donor liver, you will need to take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of your life. Several of these medications can produce side effects, so be sure to discuss special precautions with your doctor.

Call Your Doctor If Any of the Following Occurs

  • Signs of infection, including fever and chills; you are more susceptible to infections while taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the insertion site
  • Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe nausea or vomiting
  • Cough that produces a yellowish or greenish substance
  • Dry cough that continues for more than one week
  • Prolonged nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  • Inability to take prescribed medication
  • Bruising
  • Black stools
  • Red or rusty-brown urine
  • A rash or other skin changes
  • Pain, discharge, or swelling at the site of the drainage tube
  • Vaginal discharge, in women
  • Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
  • Exposure to mumps, measles, chicken pox, or shingles
  • Unusual weakness or light-headedness
  • Illness that requires emergency-room treatment or hospitalization