Liver transplantation

[Jason Yan]

Liver transplantation is the surgical removal of a healthy liver or sometimes a part of a liver from a living person and then its transfer into a person whose liver no longer functions.
(See also Overview of Transplantation.)
Liver transplantation is the second most common type of organ transplantation procedure. It is the only option for people whose liver no longer functions.
A whole liver can be obtained only from a person who has died, but a living donor can provide a part of the liver. A donated liver can be stored for up to 18 hours.
Many people die while waiting for a suitable liver, but after transplantation, the percentage of liver transplant recipients who survive is

At 1 year: 86 to 90%
At 3 years: 79%
At 5 years: 73%

Most recipients are people whose liver has been destroyed by cirrhosis (replacement of liver tissue with scar tissue), often due to infection with hepatitis C virus. Other reasons for liver transplantation include primary sclerosing cholangitis (scarring of the bile ducts, causing cirrhosis), autoimmune liver disorders, and, in children, partial or complete destruction of the bile ducts (biliary atresia) and metabolic disorders.
People whose liver has been destroyed by alcoholism can receive a transplant if they stop drinking. Liver transplantation is also done for some people who have liver cancer that is not too far advanced.
Although hepatitis C and autoimmune disorders tend to recur in the transplanted liver, survival is still good.