A liver transplant is an operation to remove a diseased or damaged liver from the body and replace it with a healthy one.
A liver transplant is recommended when the liver has been damaged to the point that it cannot perform its normal functions and is likely to fail. Read more about why you might need a liver transplant.
Although fairly common, a liver transplant is a major operation. One of the biggest risks is that the body will reject the new organ. To prevent this from happening, medication to suppress the immune system will have to be taken for the rest of your life. Read more about recovering from a liver transplant.
Liver damage
The liver can become damaged as a result of illness, infection or alcohol. This damage causes the liver to become scarred. Scarring of the liver is known as cirrhosis.
Some of the most common causes of liver damage and cirrhosis in England are:
- hepatitis C – a blood-borne virus that can cause extensive liver damage in a minority of people
- alcoholic cirrhosis – the liver becomes scarred due to years of persistent alcohol abuse
- primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) – a poorly understood condition that causes progressive liver damage
Once cirrhosis reaches a certain level, the liver gradually loses all its functions. This is known as liver failure or end-stage liver disease.
The only hope for the long-term survival of a person with liver failure is a liver transplant.
Liver transplants
There are three types of liver transplant:
- a deceased organ donation
- a living donor organ transplant
- a split donation
These are explained in more detail below.
Deceased organ donation
A deceased organ donation involves transplanting a liver that has been removed from a person who recently died.
Living donor liver transplant
During a living donor organ transplant, a section of liver is removed from a living donor and is used for transplant.
Because the liver can regenerate itself, both the transplanted section and the remaining section of the donor’s liver are able to regrow into a normal-sized liver.
Split donation
A split donation is when a liver is removed from a person who recently died and then split into two pieces: one large and one smaller piece.
Each piece is then transplanted into a different person. As with living donations, both pieces of liver will grow into a normal size.
How common are liver transplants?
Every year, an estimated 600 to 700 liver transplants are carried out in the UK. However, the number of people who need a liver transplant is much higher than the number of livers donated.
It is estimated that in the past 20 years, the number of people who could benefit from a liver transplant has increased by 90%, but the number of available donations has remained the same.
Consequently, deaths from liver disease remain high. In 2008, there were 16,087 deaths from liver disease in the UK.
The most effective way that people can reduce the number of deaths from liver disease is to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. It only takes a few minutes to join the register online.
Life after liver transplant
Long-term survival after a liver transplant has improved dramatically since the first transplants were performed during the 1960s.
This is largely due to the discovery of a group of medications known as immunosuppressants. These prevent the immune system (the body’s natural defence against infection) from rejecting the transplanted organ as body tissue it does not recognise.
However, the long-term use of immunosuppressants can present a new set of challenges as they may cause a wide range of side effects and make a person more vulnerable to infection. Read more about the complications of a liver transplant.
