When Do You Need a Liver Transplant Surgery?

A liver transplant is a surgery performed to replace one’s damaged liver with a whole or partial healthy liver from another person. It is done to save a person’s life. Healthy liver constitutes a healthy and happy life. A healthy liver is equal to a healthy and happy you. It becomes extremely important to keep your body and its internal organs healthy which helps in keeping all the diseases at bay. Our health should always be our first priority and especially the liver which handles all-important functions of the body.  A liver transplant gives a new life and a new ray of sunshine to a person suffering from any liver disease.

The liver is the largest internal organ and performs hundreds of different functions for the body, which include fighting infections, detoxifying all the chemicals, and manufacturing protein and minerals. The liver holds approximately 10% of the blood in your body and it is the only organ to regenerate or regrow by itself. So if someone donates half of their liver to the person who needs a transplant, his/her liver will return to its normal shape and size in almost 2 weeks. Therefore, a liver transplant gives a new life and a new ray of sunshine to a person suffering from any liver disease.

Info about Liver transplant

Liver transplant surgery, for most of people, is a life-saving operation. It involves the removal of the affected liver and replacing it with the donated liver.

You will get a call from a transplant coordinator to inform you about the availability of a donor’s liver. The details regarding it will also be provided to the patient about where the transplant is going to happen and the name of the liver transplant surgeon.

Once you arrive in the hospital for liver transplant surgery, you will be taken to a room for undergoing a couple of tests before the surgery. In the initial evaluation, your doctor will want to review all the medical records, X-Ray, blood reports, biopsy reports, and list of medication prescribed to you. These tests will help the doctors to evaluate if you are capable of liver transplant surgery and if any problem detected the doctor might advise for any other treatment and postpone the transplant.

The duration of the surgery on average takes 6-12 hours. It may take more than 12 hours depending upon the complexity of the case. During the surgery, a liver transplant surgeon will remove your liver and replace it with the healthy liver from the donor.

Need of liver transplant surgery

A liver transplant is done when someone is suffering from liver failure or liver cancer. Liver failure can either occur quickly or after a long period of time. Acute liver failure is a condition where failure occurs quickly in a matter of weeks. Acute liver failure may need a transplant but it is often used to treat chronic liver failure which starts slowly or may take months and years to get noticed.

One of the common causes of chronic liver failure is a condition called cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is the last stage of liver disease where a healthy liver gets replaced with scarred tissue (fibrosis) caused mainly due to certain conditions like hepatitis and extreme alcoholism and it permanently damages the liver. Hence, a patient will be needed an immediate liver transplant to cure cirrhosis. Other causes of cirrhosis are:

  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Hemochromatosis (Iron buildup in the body)
  • Wilson’s disease (accumulation of copper in the liver)
  • Autoimmune hepatitis
  • Biliary Artesia ( poorly formed bile ducts)
  • Genetic digestive disorder
  • Cystic fibrosis

If you are facing any liver-related disease or if your liver stops working then you need a liver transplant. The transplant is needed only when the condition is serious and life-threatening and you reach the end-stage of the disease. You might require a liver transplant which you are suffering from cirrhosis. The causes are mentioned above. Also if you have liver cancer, the doctor can suggest a transplant.

Above all, keeping your liver healthy is extremely important because your life is dependent on a healthy liver. Therefore, you should follow a healthy diet. Below are few tips which can help in maintaining a healthy liver.

  • Always eat a balanced diet with an equal proportion of nutrients like vitamins, fats, minerals, carbohydrates, and fibers. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Stay away from all types of processed foods that may otherwise cause harm to your body.
  • Exercise regularly to keep your body fit and free from any health issues. Practice yoga and meditation every day.
  • Maintain healthy body weight. Don’t let yourself gain weight as it may lead to obesity.
  • Limit your alcohol or other drinks intake as it has an adverse effect on your liver.
  • Cut down on any type of drugs consumption and limit the intake of smoking cigarettes.
  • Get yourself vaccinated for Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B to curb any Hepatitis-related disease.
  • Make a regular visit to your doctor and get yourself checked on a daily or monthly basis.
  • Consult your doctor before taking any medications as few can have an adverse effect on your liver.

Any surgery or transplant comes with possible risks and complications that might arise. It is not necessary that all transplant comes with risk. In the case of a liver transplant, there are a few below-enlisted risks and complications during or after a transplant.

  • Rejection of the donated liver

Sometimes after a transplant, the body rejects the donated liver or starts attacking the liver.

  • Blood clots
  • Bleeding
  • Damage to the bile ducts

During a liver transplant, one of your bile ducts can suffer blockage or leak.

  • Failure of the donated liver

There is a chance that the new liver stops responding to the body or does not work properly.

  • Infection

After a liver transplant surgery, many face infection as it takes time for a body to accept the new liver.