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More Details on Liver Transplant
A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces a patient's diseased liver or a no longer functioning liver with a healthy liver from a deceased donor or obtained some portion of liver from a living donor. Due to end-stage chronic liver disease, a liver transplant is generally reserved as a treatment option for people who have major complications. In rare cases of sudden failure of a previously healthy liver, a liver transplant may also be a treatment option. Before surgery, a potential transplant patient must be evaluated. Additionally, the liver can become slowly damaged as a result of illness, infection, or alcohol.
Key Functions of Liver
Liver is your largest internal organ and performs several critical functions in your body, including:
Treatment and Procedure
Liver transplant surgery is executed with the help of using general anesthesia, so patient will be asleep during the procedure.
The transplant doctor makes a long incision across your abdomen to open your liver. According to your surgeon's approach and your own anatomy, the location and size of your incision varies.
The doctor replaces the liver which is not functioning properly and places the donor liver in your body. Next, the doctor connects your blood vessels and bile ducts to the donor liver. In addition, your surgery can take up to 12 hours, depending on your situation.
The surgeon uses stitches and staples to close the surgical incision when your new liver is in place. Then you're taken to the intensive care unit to begin recovery.
Liver Transplant from Living-Donor
Your surgery will be scheduled in advance in case when you're getting a liver transplant from a living donor.
Surgeons initially operate on the donor and replacing the section of the liver for transplant. Afterward surgeons remove your diseased liver and place the donated liver portion in your body. Then they attach your blood vessels and bile ducts to the new liver.
The transplanted portion of liver in your body and the portion left behind in the donor's body regenerate quickly and within a several weeks it reaches to normal volume.
