Liver Transplant

Ramkrishna CARE Hospitals are the leading liver transplant hospitals in the country, having highly qualified and accomplished Hepatologists and liver transplant surgeons. We at RKCH provide the best possible post-operative care to our patients for quicker recovery, owing to the experienced doctors and trained medical staff, and nurses.

Liver Transplant refers to the transplantation of a healthy liver from one person into the body of someone who has a diseased liver. Occasionally, a whole liver may be transplanted, or just part of the liver is transplanted, depending on the situation and availability of healthy liver.

A healthy liver is usually donated by a recently deceased organ donor. The part of the liver may be donated by a living person who is medically able to do so, either a blood relative or an individual whose blood type matches the recipient. Even if one part of the liver is donated, the remaining part is sufficient to live a healthy life. The donor's and recipient's partial livers regrow and return to normal size in a short amount of time.

What is the Purpose of Liver Transplantation?

The body cannot function without the liver, so a liver transplant becomes essential if the liver is not functioning properly or is damaged due to some serious ailment like Cirrhosis. It can result in a variety of chronic medical complications related to the liver. During the course of this disease, scar tissues replace the healthy liver tissues, resulting in the liver malfunctioning. 

You may also suffer from viral hepatitis, acute hepatic necrosis, biliary atresia, autoimmune hepatitis, or primary cancers in addition to Cirrhosis which would require Liver Transplant.

Liver Transplant Evaluation Process

In order to determine if you are eligible for liver transplantation, CARE Hospitals' expert doctors will conduct an assessment, and if necessary, you will be referred to a transplant centre. The evaluation process is conducted to determine if you are in the right condition to undergo liver transplant surgery as well as if you have any medical conditions that may hinder the transplant process.

As part of the Liver Transplantation process, you will undergo blood, urine and heart tests as well as general health tests. It is not possible for patients with serious heart diseases, alcoholism, chronic infections that cannot be treated, or metastatic cancer to receive a liver transplant.

Risks Involved With Liver Transplantation

As with all surgical procedures, liver transplants can result in complications. There is an increased risk of rejection after a liver transplant both due to the procedure itself and the drugs administered after the procedure.

There are several risks associated, including,

• Inflammation of the bile ducts, such as leaking bile ducts or bile duct shrinkage
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Donated Liver Failure or Rejection
• Infection
• Unstable Mental State or Seizures

A transplanted liver can also develop liver disease after a long period of time. That’s why our hepatologists advise the patients to have regular follow-ups after the transplantation procedure. This eliminates the risks and gives ample time for precautionary measures and treatments.

Adverse Effects of Anti-Rejection Medications

The anti-rejection medications you take after a liver transplant may cause multiple side effects, including:

• The loss of bone mass
• Diabetes
• A diarrhoea
• Symptoms of Headaches
• High Blood Pressure (BP)
• High Cholesterol

Your doctor may prescribe medication to fight infections since anti-rejection drugs suppress the immune system.