What is Liver Transplant?

This is a surgery to replace a diseased or damaged liver with a liver from a donor who has died. In some cases, a portion of the liver of a living, related donor may be used.

Normal vs. Diseased Liver © 2009 Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.

A liver transplant is done to treat a liver that is not working and cannot be fixed. This may be caused by:

• Cirrhosis
• Hepatitis A , B , or C
• Alcoholic liver disease
• Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis (disease of the bile ducts)
• Sudden liver failure
• Congenital defects (eg, biliary atresia)
• Liver tumors
• Metabolic defects (eg, Wilson's disease )
• Poisoning or drug-induced damage

After the transplant, most patients are able to return to normal activities in 6-12 months.

Possible Complications

If you are planning to have liver transplant, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Rejection of transplanted liver
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Damage to nearby organs
• Bile-duct obstruction or bile leakage into the body
• Complications from immunosuppressive drugs
• Blood clots

Some factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Smoking
• Obesity
• Alcoholism
• Diabetes
• Poor nutrition
• Recent or long-term illness
• Serious heart, lung, or kidney disease
• Use of certain medicines
• Cancer
• Current infection

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the...