Obtaining a Deceased Liver Transplant: The Process Unfold

Dr.Ajitabh Srivastava, 4 mins read

What is a liver transplant? – It is a surgical procedure performed to remove and replace a damaged or diseased liver with a healthy one. There are two kinds of liver donations; a live liver donation wherein a living donor provides the recipient with a liver or a deceased liver donation when a person gets a liver from deceased donors: who signed up and volunteered to donate their livers upon their passing. A patient is recommended a liver transplant only when the liver is damaged to the point of no return, also known as liver failure or end-stage liver disease.

The liver can get damaged due to infection, illness, or protracted alcohol use. This damage scars the liver causing cirrhosis. Liver failure can also take place rather quickly as a consequence of inflammation and death of liver tissue, this is called necrosis. 

What are the major causes of Liver damage? 

ARLD, or alcohol-related liver disease, when years of alcohol consumption scar the liver. Hepatitis is another major cause of liver damage, primary biliary cholangitis is another less known condition that can cause liver damage, and PSC or primary sclerosing cholangitis causes long-term inflammation of the liver. Transplantation of the Liver can also be used to treat liver cancer. 

Doctors urge people to donate their organs after they pass on as there is a severe shortage of donated organs in India. Donated organs are often the only hope for long-term survival for thousands of people who are suffering from end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, no device can permanently replace the liver and replicate its function. Read on if you’re considering a liver transplant in Delhi, or anywhere else.

Eligibility 

There is an exhaustive assessment process that is conducted by the Liver Transplant team to determine who is eligible for a liver transplant. The endgame of this is to see if a candidate is in dire need of a liver transplant; if they don’t get one they won’t survive for long, or if their quality of life without a transplant is intolerable. 

The first step will be assessing if you are indeed a candidate for a liver transplant. The best liver surgeons in Delhi will perform liver transplants only after they completely rule out all other treatment options. It is important to understand that liver transplants aren’t for everyone. Candidates may be told they are not healthy enough for the procedure. A successful Liver Transplantation depends upon the medical condition of the patient. If you and your doctor conclude that a liver transplant is necessary and right for you, your doctor will refer you to the best hospitals for liver transplants in Delhi.

You will go through a series of tests at the transplant hospital under the care of your transplant team and you’ll have to go for a couple of months to get all your evaluation completed. 

A transplant team comprises many members, which includes a transplant coordinator, and a specially trained nurse who will be a dedicated point of contact for you, they’ll arrange your appointments, and provide relevant information about your transplant. You’ll see, Liver transplant surgeon, a hepatologist who specializes in liver disease and provides care before and after surgery, a psychiatrist who will determine your mental and emotional well-being to gauge whether you are fully prepared for caring for a new liver, and a dietitian —who will apprise you on the foods you must eat and how you can plan healthy diets to boost your recovery and even prepare your body before your transplant.

Your team will put you through medical tests that include a physical assessment, imaging tests, blood, and urine testing, along with tests to determine the health of your heart, lungs, and kidneys. 

Every transplant center has a selection committee that will review the results of your evaluation based on their guidelines and national guidelines.

You can always refuse to get a transplant if you so choose, even though you get approval.

If you are approved for a transplant and don’t have a live donor, your name will be submitted and placed on the national waiting list for a liver from a deceased donor. You’ll need to then wait for a deceased donor to come by, and this can last from less than 30 days to more than 5 years. 

Based on your body size and blood type, you’ll need to match with a deceased donor’s liver. People with the most urgent need for a new liver are placed at the top of the national waiting list.

When a matching liver is found, your transplant team coordinator will call you and ask you to come to the hospital right away.

If you or your relative is looking for the best liver specialist in Delhi make an appointment today and speak to our Liver Transplant team for an honest and proper opinion. The department of Liver Transplant at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital has some of the best Liver Transplant surgeons in Delhi.

Also, Read: Rebuilding and Rediscovering: Life after a Liver Transplant