Surgical Options
Liver Transplantation – liver transplantation is one of the only treatment options available for patients with end-stage liver disease. It continues to be limited by donor availability, but short and long-term results are outstanding with an expected 72% survival rate five years post-transplantation.
There are two types of liver transplants: living donor and deceased donor.
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Deceased donor organs are taken from those patients who are declared brain dead. Organs from these individuals are retrieved as quickly as possible, packed in a preservation solution and ice and shipped to their destination as quickly as possible. The main requirements are that the donor be of a compatible blood type and the donor liver be an appropriate size. No other matching is necessary.
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In a living donor liver transplant, a segment of the liver is donated from a healthy person to the transplant patient. This can be done because the liver is the only organ that has the ability to regenerate. Both the segment that was donated and the remaining section of the donor liver will grow to normal size within weeks. Parents, siblings and other relatives are eligible to donate organs to family members. Unrelated donors may also donate a portion of their liver if they prove to be a match for the recipient.
