A living-donor liver transplant is a liver transplant treatment where a part of healthy person’s liver that is removed and transplanted into another person who require liver transplant treatment. Both the donor’s and recipient’s livers may regrow over the subsequent months. They are obtaining a living-donor transplant minimizes the time and a person requires to wait on the national transplant waiting list. 

In India, there are numerous hospitals to provide liver transplant treatment. Liver transplant in India includes a life-saving treatment and standard care for many conditions of end-stage liver disease. Originally, all liver transplants operated on deceased donor livers. The number of patients who are waiting for the transplantation began to grow, and it became obvious that the number of deceased donors might not meet the demand for livers.

Living donor liver transplantation was designed and started with adults donating for children to satisfy these demands. Technical advancements in liver surgery and the liver’s extraordinary ability to regenerate have made this process a life-saving reality.

How living donor liver transplantation surgery is performed?

This process obtains about four to six hours to remove the donor’s liver, and additionally, it will take another six to 12 hours to implant it into the recipient. The surgeon may create a long incision across the donor’s abdomen to access the liver. 

You may be suggested for the smaller laparoscopic incision that is made if the recipient is a child. The surgeon will remove a portion of the liver that they have identified an adequate for the recipient. After protective bleeding, they may close the incision and bring the donor to recovery.

You may need a successful liver transplant for your spouse and if so, try to connect with the best hospital and surgeons in India. You should know all the details before opting for Liver transplant treatment, the surgeons may implant the healthy liver portion into the donor-recipient. They will make a long incision across the recipient’s abdomen for the donor. They may sever the current attachments and remove them. 

The liver part will be implemented for the donor. This may affect the bile ducts, body’s veins and arteries to the donor’s liver. This will re-establish the key relationships and allow the donor’s liver to work properly. The surgeon will do this to bring the close incision. For both the donor and the recipient, the liver will start to begin regenerating once it is invested. This process mostly will take time between six to eight weeks to finish.

Who is Eligible for living liver donation?

You should follow the good physical and mental health as a living liver donor. It could have a healthy support system and work during the recovery period. Donors may be family members or may not be close family members or close connections with the recipient. 

The age of eligible donors is between 18 and 55 and also he must within a healthy weight range. Donors may not have chronic or severe medical conditions like diabetes, cancer, hepatitis or HIV. Alcoholism and active drug abuse may also rule out donor candidates.

What are the steps of the evaluation?

Blood tests, an electrocardiogram (EKG), a chest X-ray, and an abdomen ultrasound are necessary before liver transplantation. If these tests indicate that you could be a donor, you should perform a CT scan of the abdomen to assure that your liver is good enough to donate a piece. Your liver should be large enough, to the recipient’s size, for the donated piece of your liver to be sufficient for the recipient. 

You also appear at the blood vessels to ensure that the component is in a pattern that will let you remove the correct part of your liver. Other examinations or consultations are also necessary according to the situation. A liver biopsy may be required for liver transplantation.

An expert, is one among the liver transplant team, will do the medical evaluation. This doctor acts as a donor advocate and looks at the donor transplant surgery with only the donors in their minds. The tests and procedures or consultations may be scheduled until the insurance authorization for the recipient’s transplant surgery and the donor’s work-up surgery. You may meet with a social worker who may help you to learn the issues related to the donation.

Liver transplant Surgery

This procedure is among the most complicated and performed by surgeons. The liver transplant surgeon may inspect the donor’s liver and marks structures to be attached during surgery, and then creates an upside-down Y mark on your abdomen. Generally, liver transplant surgery may last up to six hours.

Your surgeon stops blood flow from the main veins and arteries that provide the liver utilizing clamps before separating the diseased organ and removing it from the body. The transplanted liver will be kept on an icebox in a nutrient bath till it is positioned inside your body. The veins are attached, followed by the hepatic artery and bile duct. After ensuring the organ functions properly, your surgeon completes the incision using surgical staples.

Recovery from Liver Transplant

Most recipients are completely recovered after three to six months. But, this will rely on the severity of their condition, age, and general health. In this period, recipients may return to the hospital for routine visits to observe their recovery. 

You may see more tubes than the IV after you go into surgery. You will hurt more, so you will get a PCA pump. It provides a constant stream of pain medicine, and you may also press a button to get extra when you require it.

A tube drains fluid from your large surgical wound. Another tube will go to your bladder and gather your pee, so you will not have to awakeand the other will go to your stomach, which keeps your digestive system calm.

Bottom line:

The liver starts to regenerate after liver transplantation. This regeneration happens in the first two weeks after surgery, followed by a slower growth after the next year. The medical expert has checked your health condition.