Liver Transplant is a procedure which requires planning and preparations in the form of precautions so that everything goes on smoothly and safely. The surgeons who carry out these procedures are dependent on various types of machinery and tests for determining the success rate of the operation. Read more - http://bit.ly/UoDHT7

1. What Exactly is
A Liver Transplant?

2. Liver Transplantation is a type of surgery
which is carried out to remove an infected or
dysfunctional liver and replacing it with a
functional and healthy liver. The surgery has
been carried out by surgeons all over the world
since 40 years and have carried out the majority
of surgeries in a successful manner. During a
transplant a patient's entire liver is removed
and is replaced with either a full grown liver or
a part of a it which grows after some time to full
form.

3. Under What Circumstances
A Person Has To Get
A Liver Transplant?

4. People whose liver becomes dysfunctional are
likely to die if they do not get a transplant. Various
types of liver diseases can cause liver failure out of
which the most common disease is Cirrhosis in
which the liver cells suffer from cuts or scars
which results in the liver cells becoming dead.
Cirrhosis is a disease which is caused by prolonged
symptoms of Hepatitis C.

5. There are other conditions like Bile Duct diseases,
primary biliary Cirrhosis, Atresia and primary
sclorosing which cause the liver to fail because of
excess bile juice secretion. Also, Disease like
Wilson Disease and Hemochromatosis which are
hereditary diseases cause the Copper and Iron
levels in the liver to rise to dangerous levels
respectively. Also, Alcoholism and Liver Cancer
are the reason for a person to get a liver
transplant.

6. What is Cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is a disease which affects most of
the patients who their livers transplanted.
Most of the the adults suffer from Cirrhosis
which requires them to get a liver transplant.

7. How Cirrhosis Affects The Liver In Adults?
Cirrhosis is a transformation disease which over
the time replaces the liver tissues with the scar
tissues which disables proper functioning of the
liver. The scar tissues inhibits the blood flow into
the liver which prevents it from processing the
drugs, hormones and various nutrients. This
inhibition reduces the ability of the liver to
produce proteins and other chemicals which are
necessary for the body.

8. What Is The Most Common
Reason For A Child To Get A
Liver Transplant?

9. The most common liver disease among
children is Biliary Atresia which is the
cause for getting a transplant. The
disease is related to the bile ducts which
carry out the bile enzyme out of the
liver. When these duct are not present
or are damaged there is high possibility
of having liver Cancer or Cirrhosis.

10. What Is A Liver
Donor Operation?

11. The donor of the liver is operated by making a
incision in the upper abdomen area of the
body. If a child has to be transplanted with a
liver then only 25% of the portion of the
donor's liver is taken out.

12. But if The patient is an adult then about 60% of the liver
is taken out from the donors body. Usually, surgeons
take out the right portion of the liver for transplanting it
to the patient.

13. The Blood Vessels in the liver are
separated from the body and the
portion of the liver to be used is cut
out and taken to another operating
room where it is fitted in the
recipient's body. The operation of the
donor usually takes 6-8 hours for
completion.

14. What Are The Symptoms
Indicating You To Get
A Liver Transplant?

15. The Prolong or worsening of the following symptoms is the
indication for a person to get their liver transplanted:
- Itching
- Increased tendency To Bleed
- Forgetfulness And Confusion
- Abnormal storage of fluid known as Ascites in the
abdomen area.
- Blood in Vomit
- Gray colored Stools
- Dark Colored Urine (tea colored)
-Jaundice

16. How Can A Liver Be Procured
For A Transplant?
There are 2 choices for a patient for a
Liver transplant :
1. Cadaveric Transplant
2. Donor Transplant

17. Cadaveric Transplantation
In this type of transplant the donor of the liver may be a
victim who has suffered serious injuries in an accident which
has caused his/her brain to stop working but his/her heart
beats. In this situation the donor is declared legally dead
because of the dysfunctioning brain. The person is put on to a
life support system in the Intensive-care Unit (ICU). The
reasons for the death of the person are kept confidential and
are only known to the doctors. The liver of the patient is used
for transplanting it in to the person in need of it.

18. Living Donor Transplant
patient who are at the last stage of the disease require a live
donor liver transplant. A segment of the donor's liver is
removed and is planted in to the body of the recipient.
Mostly family members who are blood related donate their
liver to the patient. The liver grows back to the normal size
with in weeks after the operation. It is important for the
patient and the donor to be stable in their health which may
cause serious concerns over their lives as the operation
involves a lot of blood loss chances and other complication
which can be controlled only if a person's health is at the
required level.

19. What Tests are needed
Before a Liver
Transplant?

20. - Your medical history would be examined by the specialists and various
tests would be performed to ensure the safety during the operation.
- Doppler Ultrasound test is carried out to find out if the blood vessels
coming from and going to the liver are working properly.
- Pulmonary Function Study is done to determine whether the lungs are
able to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen or not.
- Computer Tomography test uses the X-rays and computer generated
images of the liver which would help the doctors determine the condition of
the liver so that they can carry out further procedures.
- Echo-cardiogram test is also done to get a detailed evaluation of the
condition of the Heart.
- Apart from all these specific tests which require specialized machinery, the
doctors carry out blood tests to determine various symptoms and ability of
blood like clotting ability, blood type, AIDS and Hepatitis detection and
biochemical status of the blood is done.

21. What Is Done After The Doctors
Find A Matching Donor?
When the doctors find a matching liver for you, the transplant
coordinator would contact you. After you have been informed about
the matching liver you should not eat or drink anything until you
reach the hospital for the transplant. You would be informed about
any further instructions. An Electrocardiogram test and a chest X-ray
would be performed before your transplant operation begins. The
surgical resident and the anesthesiologist would meet you in the
operation theater. If the test done approve the transplant to be carried
out then you would be operated otherwise you would be sent back and
would not be called again until a matching liver is found.

22. What Are The Procedures During
The Time Of The Surgery?
During the time of surgery your diseased liver is removed
from your body by the surgeons who disconnect the bile
ducts and blood vessels from it and replace it with the new
liver. The blood which was present in the liver which was
taken out would be sent in to the body with the help of a
machine. After the liver is connected to the bile ducts and the
blood vessels the blood in the body would automatically start
flowing through your liver. This operation would last for
around 6 to 12 hours during which you would be made
unconscious by injecting a dose of anesthesia in your body.

23. What Are The Procedures
After The Surgery?
After you undergo the surgery you will have to stay at the hospital for one to
three weeks until you become strong enough to be discharged and to make
sure that your liver is functioning properly. You would have to consume
medication for the prevention of any kind of infections in the liver. The
doctor would perform regular checkups during your stay at the hospital.
During the time your Liver Transplant Surgeon will tell you about the
procedures and routines which you have to follow so that you keep yourself
healthy and away from any kind of infections. After few days or a week you
will be provided liquid meals for sometime and eventually would be
switched on to solid food.
The patients have to take the immunosuppresive medications for their entire
life to prevent any kind of immune rejection in the liver which can have
harmful effects on rest of the body.

24. What Complications Can Occur
In A Liver Transplant Surgery?
There are basically two common
type of complications which occur
after a surgery, i.e. Infection and
Rejection.

25. Infections
A patient is more prone to get infected rather
than suffering from rejection. This is because of
the anti-rejection medicines which are
prescribed to you. These medications increase
the risk of getting liver infections. Thought this
problem does not persists for a longer period of
time but is very much likely to occur if proper
care is not done.

26. Rejections
Our immune system works to prevent any alien
substances or elements from entering our body or fights
the harmful substances which can cause harm to our
health. Sometimes it is not possible for our immune
system to distinguish between our newly transplanted
liver and the unwanted invading elements. This makes the
immune system to attack the liver and destroy it by
ceasing its functions. This is known as rejection. Some or
the other kind of rejection occurs among 70% of the
patients which is treated with the help of anti-rejection
medicines in most of the cases.

27. What Side Effects Can A Patient
Suffer After The Liver Transplant?
The rejection Preventing drugs are the main reason for any kind of side
effects among the patients who have got a liver transplanted in them.
Most Of The Side Effects Include:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Fluid Retention
- Incresed Blood Pressure
- Headaches
To Check whether your new liver is functioning properly or not they
conduct blood test for testing various conditions in the blood quality. Your
are recommended to eat a healthy diet containing fresh vegetables and less
fats and oils.

28. Important Info
It should be noted that liver transplant can be some times
dangerous for a person's health if they have other
diseases outside the liver or have active alcoholic and
smoking habits. Any kind of septic infections may also
result in the prevention of a liver transplant in a person.
Therefore, most of the transplants are performed on
people who have Chronic Liver Cancer Disease.

29. Dr. Arvinder Singh Soin is
one of the Pioneers of Liver
Transplantation in India and
the world. He has conducted
more than 1500 Liver
transplants and over 12000
Bil Duct, Gall Bladder and
other complex liver surgeries
all over the world.

30. Contact Us :
Liver Transplant India
Dr. A.S. Soin
Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon,
Chief Hepatobiliary and Liver Transplant Surgeon Chairman,
Medanta Institute of Liver Transplantation and Regenerative
Medicine.
Sector 38, Gurgaon, Haryana – 122001, India
Tel Numbers:
Medanta-The Medicity (Gurgaon, Delhi NCR)
(+91) - 124-4855-222, 0124-4855-444
Fax: +91 -124 4834111
Website : http://www.livertransplantindia.com/