Living Related Liver Transplant in India

What is a Living Related Liver Transplant?

A living-related or living-donor liver transplant refers to a surgical procedure where a small portion of the liver from a healthy living individual is removed as well as placed into the patient whose liver is not working correctly anymore. The remaining liver portion of the donor regrows and returns to its standard size, capacity, and volume within a few months after the liver transplant surgery. Simultaneously, this transplanted liver part regrows with the restoration of the normal function in the patient (recipient).

Max Hospital is one of the leading hospitals performing Living Related Liver Transplant in India with a high success rate.

Who Can Be a Living Liver Donor?

During liver donation patients are eligible to receive from a living donor, then a family member, relative, or close friend can be considered for donation. The donor must meet the following criteria:

1. Must be in good physical and mental health
2. Must be between the ages of 18 and 60
3. Must have a body mass index (BMI) that is less than 35
4. Must have a compatible blood type with the recipient
5. Must be free from the following:
   1. Significant organ diseases (i.e., heart disease, kidney disease, etc.)
   2. Ongoing malignancy (cancer)
   3. Hepatitis
   4. Active or chronic infections
   5. Active substance abuse

Living donors also need a healthy support system to rely on for emotional and physical needs during recovery.

Which Diseases Necessitate Living Related Liver Transplant Surgery?

Although a living related liver transplant treats acute failure of the liver, yet this is more common for treating chronic liver failure. Chronic liver failure occurs due to a variety of severe conditions. The most common cause of such chronic liver failure is liver cirrhosis. In liver cirrhosis, scar tissue of the liver often replaces healthy liver tissue, thus causing the malfunctioning of the liver. Some of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis that leads to liver failure and in, in turn, liver transplant involve:

1. Excessive consumption of alcohol thus causing alcoholic liver disease
2. Hepatitis B and C
3. The disease of nonalcoholic fatty liver, where fat develops within the liver and causes inflammation or even cell damage
4. Genetic diseases that affect the liver, including hemochromatosis that causes increased iron buildup within the liver

What Are the Medical or Diagnostic Tests Required for Living Related Liver Transplants?

Some common tests that are often recommended by doctors when recommending living-related liver transplant surgery in India are:

1. Laboratory tests (blood tests, urine tests) for assessing the organ health including that of liver
2. Imaging tests (ultrasound of liver)
3. Heart tests for determining the health of the cardiovascular system
4. A general physical health examination that includes routine screening tests for cancer, evaluating regular health and timely checking for any other illnesses that can affect even a successful transplant

What Are the Pre-Surgery and Post-Surgery Precautions?

Pre-surgery precautions and post-surgery recovery Before a living related liver transplant takes place, patients need to be careful about food habits, the intake of regular medications, and also about the regular physical checkups. They need to follow all instructions as demonstrated by doctors strictly and take proper medications as prescribed before the surgery. After the surgery is performed, some of the health measures that patients need to be extra careful about are:

1. Patients may need to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for a couple of days
2. They may require to be in the hospital for around five to ten days after the surgery, depending upon their health conditions.
3. When discharged for home, the patient needs to continue with their checkup plans during the recovery phase.
4. Patients are advised to take proper medications post-liver-transplant surgery.
5. They need to receive an appropriate diet and regular exercise as suggested by doctors

What Is the Cost of Living Related Liver Transplants in India?

Over the previous five decades, liver transplants have been one of the most successful developments in the healthcare industry. Because of the increasing number of surgical procedures and technological advancements over the last few decades, this medical therapy is now in its golden age in India. This procedure requires the expertise of our surgeons as well as our state-of-the-art techniques that will affect the cost of Living Related Liver Transplant in India.