In liver transplantation, the diseased liver is removed and replaced with a healthy liver from a donor.
The liver is part of the digestive system and is located in the upper right part of the abdomen. The liver has several life-support functions: processing nutrients, making proteins, storing sugars or glycogen. The liver also plays a role in regulating hormone-, blood sugar and cholesterol levels of the body, and with the fluid balance. The liver filters unwanted substances from the blood and helps the body fight against infections.
The efficient functioning of the liver can be gradually disrupted by damage to the liver cells due to alcohol abuse, hepatitis or birth defects. When liver cells have died, the dead cells are replaced by scar tissue. Scar tissue prevents blood from flowing through the liver, making nutrient storage and filtering out unwanted substances impossible. If liver function is severely impaired, liver transplantation may be necessary.
In a liver transplant, the diseased liver is removed and replaced with a suitable, healthy liver from a deceased donor.
Periodic blood tests check the functioning of the new liver. As with all organ transplants, the liver recipient must be treated with immunosuppressant drugs for life to prevent it from developing. immune system body rejects the transplanted liver.
This operation can bring several complications, which should be discussed with the doctor before the operation.