Who needs a Liver Transplant
- Who needs a liver transplant?
- What are the signs of liver problems?
- What is Liver transplantation?
- Can anyone with liver problems get a transplant?
- Where do the livers for transplants come from?
- What happens in the hospital?
- What is rejection?
- What are other problems that can damage the liver transplant?
- How do I take care of my liver after I leave the hospital?
- Can I go back to my daily activities?
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is located on the right side of the abdomen (to the right of the stomach) behind the lower ribs and below the lungs. The liver performs more than 400 functions each day to keep the body healthy. Some of its major jobs include.
Converting food into nutrients the body can use (for example, the liver produces bile to help break down fats)
Storing fats, sugars, iron, and vitamins for later use by the body
Making the proteins needed for normal blood clotting
Removing or chemically changing drugs, alcohol, and other substances that may be harmful or toxic to the body
Who needs a liver transplant?
Persons with one or more of the following problems should seek expert advice regarding liver transplant. The transplant doctor can then suggest if liver transplant is appropriate.
Those with end-stage chronic liver disease complicated by tiredness, fatigue, weight loss, repeated attacks of blood in the vomit or stool, low serum albumin or prolonged prothrombin time, hospitalization for intractable (which keeps accumulating inspite of medicines) ascites, infection in the ascites (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis or SBP), attacks of excessive drowsiness, mental confusion or coma or excessive jaundice.
Those with severe acute liver failure which is not improving with medicines. Acute liver failure is said to be present when the duration of illness is a few days or weeks. It may be caused by Viral Hepatitis, Wilson's disease, drug overdose, Budd-Chiari syndrome(obstruction to the hepatic veins or IVC draining the blood from the liver) or some unknown causes.The illness is characterized by worsening coma, jaundice, prothrombin time (PT), liver tests (SGOT / SGPT / Alk phos, GGT) and kidney function, and falling blood glucose levels.
What are the signs of liver problems?
some signs of liver problems are:
feeling tired or weak
losing your appetite
feeling sick to your stomach
losing weight
bruising or bleeding easily, such as nosebleeds
bloating due to fluid buildup in the abdomen
declining mental functions
Also, liver problems often make the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow, a condition called jaundice, and may cause swelling in the legs and the abdomen.
What is liver transplantation?
Liver transplantation is surgery to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy one. This kind of surgery has been done for more than 38 years. Many people have had liver transplants and now lead normal lives.
Can anyone with liver problems get a transplant?
You cannot have a transplant if you have:
cancer in another part of your body
serious heart, lung, or nerve disease
active alcohol or illegal drug abuse
an active, severe infection
inability to follow yo...
Where do the livers for transplants come from?
Whole livers come from people who have just died. This type of donor is called a cadaveric donor. Sometimes a healthy person will donate part of his or her liver for a particular patient. This kind of donor is called a living donor.
All living donors and donated livers are tested before transplant surgery. The testing makes sure the liver is healthy, matches your blood type, and is the right size so it has the best chance of working in your body.
What happens in the hospital?
When a liver is available, you will be prepared for the surgery. If your new liver is from a living donor, both you and the donor will be in surgery at the same time. If your new liver is from a person who has recently died, your surgery starts when the new liver arrives at the hospital.
"During Surgery
The surgery can take from 4 to 14 hours. While the surgeon removes your diseased liver, other doctors prepare the new liver.
The surgeon will disconnect your diseased liver from your bile ducts and blood vessels before removing it. The blood that flows into your liver will be blocked or sent through a machine to return to the rest of your body. The surgeon will put the healthy liver in place and reconnect it to your bile ducts and blood vessels. Your blood will then flow into your new liver.
After Surgery
You will stay in the hospital for an average of 1 to 3 weeks to be sure your new liver is working. You will take medicines to prevent rejection of your new liver and to prevent infections. Your doctor will check for bleeding, infections, and rejection. During this time you will start to learn how to take care of yourself and use your medicines to protect your new liver after you go home.
In the hospital, you will slowly start eating again. You will start with clear liquids, then switch to solid food as your new liver starts to work.
What is rejection?
Rejection occurs when your body's natural defenses, called the immune system, damage the new liver. Your immune system keeps you healthy by fighting against things that don't belong in your body, such as bacteria and viruses. After a transplant, it is common for your immune system to fight against the liver and try to destroy it.
To keep your body from rejecting the new liver, you will take medicines. These drugs, such as steroids, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil, are called immunosuppressants. Immunosuppressants weaken your immune system's ability to reject your new liver.
What are the other problems that can damage the liver transplant?
Return of the problem that made the transplant necessary in the first place is the most common problem for patients with liver transplants. Also, hepatitis C virus may damage a transplant if the patient was infected before the operation took place.
Other problems include
blockage of the blood vessels going into or out of the liver damage to the tubes that carry bile into the intestine
How do I take care of my liver after I leave the hospital?
After you leave the transplant center at the hospital, you will see your doctor often to be sure your new liver is working well. You will have regular blood tests to check that your new liver is not being damaged by rejection, infections, or problems with blood vessels or bile ducts. You will need to avoid sick people and report any illnesses to your doctor. You will need to eat a healthy diet, exercise, and not drink alcohol, especially if alcohol was the cause of damage to your own liver. You should use medicines, including ones you can buy without a prescription, only if your doctor says they are safe for you. It is important to do what your doctor says to take care of your new liver.
Can I go back to my daily activities?
Yes. After a successful liver transplant, most people can go back to their normal daily activities. Getting your strength back will take some time, though, depending on how sick you were before the transplant. You will need to check with your doctor on how long your recovery period should be. Social workers and support groups will help you adjust to life with a new liver.
Work. After recovery, most people are able to go back to work.
Diet. Most people can go back to eating as they did before. Some medicines may cause you to gain weight, and others may cause diabetes or a rise in your cholesterol. Meal planning and a balanced low-fat diet can help you remain healthy.
Exercise. Most people can engage in physical activity after a successful liver transplant.
Sex. Most people return to a normal sex life after liver transplantation. It is important for women to avoid becoming pregnant in the first year after transplantation. You should talk to your transplant team about sex and reproduction after transplantation. If you have any questions, you may want to check with your doctor before starting any activity.