How is Liver Transplant Procedure?

Do you know that in the last ten minutes, someone somewhere was added to the transplant waiting list, and in the next ten minutes, another name will be added again?

This means that the organ transplant waiting list doesn’t get any shorter, but it keeps on growing day by day. Right now, as you read this, there are thousands of ailing people who need an organ transplants.

Just in 2018, more than 36,500 organ transplants were performed in the US alone. The WHO reports that over 100 800 solid organ transplants are performed every year across the world. 69 400 are kidney transplants and 20 200 are liver transplants.

When one is said to need an organ transplant, it means one of their organs is not working properly and it’s failing. So, if one undergoes an organ transplant, their life can certainly be improved and those with a chronic illness can live a normal life.

There are many types of organ transplants, but this article will focus on one of the most popular types —a liver transplant.

When it comes to liver transplants, this study reveals that people who have this type of transplant have an 89% chance of living longer. 75% is the five-year survival rate. There are instances that the transplanted life can either fail or the disease that the patient was being cured of returns.

So, even if the liver transplant went well, your surgeon needs to keep on monitoring you to detect if there are potential problems. This implies that one will regularly need blood tests.

Well, having said that, let's now delve deep into the details of a liver transplant, but to help you understand everything about this procedure, let’s begin by defining an organ transplant, right? 

ALSO CHECK: Do You Want to Save Lives? Donate an Organ

What is an Organ Transplant?

Organ transplantation is a medical procedure that involves moving or rather transferring a healthy body organ from one person’s body to the other. The procedure is often lifesaving, and thousands of people are alive because of it. Sometimes, one patient can have two organ transplants at the same time.

This procedure can be done regardless of the geographical location of the donor and the recipient — this means that the two people involved can be in two different locations and the donor’s organ will have to be transported to the recipient’s location.

Besides the liver, intestines, heart, pancreas, kidneys, and lungs are some of the organs that can be transplanted. Although the main focus of this article is the liver transplant, transplantation of the kidney is the most common organ transplant and cornea transplant is the least.

How is the Liver Transplant Procedure Performed?

A liver transplant is a complex surgery that has to be performed by experienced surgeons. The procedure involves the harvesting and preparation of the donor's liver, removal of the diseased liver from the recipient, and the new organ implantation. Surgeons have to make sure that they re-establish several key connections so that the new organ receives blood flow and they also have to drain bile from the liver.

The reconnected structures include the portal vein, bile duct, the inferior vena cava as well as the hepatic artery. The method used to connect these structures varies from one patient to the other and it usually depends on the recipient’s disease and the anatomic issues of both the donor and recipient.

Generally, the steps taken during the liver transplant procedure are as follows:

1. Incision.
2. Surgeons will then have to evaluate the abdomen to see if the patient has any abnormalities that may cause the transplanted liver to fail. For instance, if the recipient has some sort of infection, the surgeons will have to call off the operation.
3. The native liver is then mobilized.
4. Important structures are then Isolated.
5. The structures are then transected and the diseased liver is removed.
6. What follows next is the sewing and attachment of the new liver.
7. During this process, doctors will be controlling the bleeding and making sure that it doesn’t get to an extent that may affect the patient.
8. The incisions are then closed.

The Importance of the Organ Donation

Organ donation is important because it saves lives. It’s the gift of life. Thousands of precious lives, both young and old, are served through organ donations every year.

One donor can save the lives of eight people, and even more when the donor can donate tissues and corneas. Anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race, is eligible to donate an organ. In recent years, there have been advances in organ transplantation such as making living donations, this means that one can choose to donate one of his/her organs like a kidney, or part of their liver.

Over to you…

If you are interested in becoming a donor or if you still have questions about the liver transplantation procedure? Get a free quote.

This content is edited by Flymedi Medical Editors in August 2023.