Frequently Asked Questions Before a Liver Transplant

Posted by Radhikaa Sen on October 3rd, 2016

India is one of the popular tourist destinations when it comes to medical tourism. Among a host of treatments, liver transplant in India is one of the oft-prescribed medical procedures. If you or any of your loved one is about to undergo a liver transplant, read this fact-sheet for understanding the treatment and its process better.

What does liver do?

As one of the vital organs of the body, liver helps process nutrients and get rid of toxins, thus playing an important role in maintaining body’s metabolic balances.  

Why a liver transplant is recommended?

A transplant is recommended when medicines do not give favourable results for treating life-threatening liver diseases such as cirrhosis, cancer or acute liver failure.

Why do people choose India for liver transplantation?

First reason is the expertise of Indian doctors and second is the relatively lower cost.  The cost of liver transplantation in India is one twentieth when compared to USA, UK and other European Countries.

What are the prerequisites for a liver transplant?

There has to be a donor, either living or dead (in case, the family of a brain-dead patient agrees to organ donation). In most cases, a family member volunteers to undergo an operation. A small part of his or her liver is transplanted into the patient. According to Medmonks, “India accounts for the world’s best live-donor transplant programs in terms of volumes and clinical outcomes.”

What are the criteria for donors?

The criterion is given below:
”The most important criterion is that the donation of portion of the liver is done voluntarily. The donor has to be less than 50 years of age, body mass index of less than 25 and is a near relative of the recipient. Both the donor and the patient should have the same blood group.” says the report based on Zee News.com in March, 2015.

Is liver transplant completely safe for both the patient and the donor?

Yes, India has one of the highest rates of clinical success when it comes to liver transplantation. In most cases, the procedure is safe for both the patient and the donor, provided that all the precautions have been followed diligently. Apart from this, the donor should be aware of the following points (as shared by an expert hepatologist in an e-mail interview with Zee News).

1. ” The donor operation carries complication rate of 10-15%.
2.  The recipient is successful in 90-95%, which means that there is 5-10% chance of dying.
3. The donation is done out of his/her own wish and without any coercion.
4. There is no financial gain related to the act of donation.
5.  The donor has the right to withdraw at any time without the need of giving any reasons to do so.”

What are the precautions to take once the transplant has been done?

The patient will be given immune-suppressants to prevent your body from rejecting the new liver. This may weaken the immune system and increase the susceptibility to infections, allergies and other diseases. So, the patient has to be taken care of properly and thoroughly. Follow your doctor’s advice on what should be eaten, correct doses of the prescribed medicines and other after-care requirements.

For how many days will the patient need to stay at the hospital?

The ICU stay of the recipient is typically 4-5 days and the hospital stay 2-3 weeks.

Do you have more questions regarding liver transplantation in India?  Please share your queries in the section below.