Living donor liver transplant has emerged in recent decades as a critical surgical option for patients with end stage liver diseases requiring immediate liver transplants. Unlike in cadaveric transplants, wherein the donor is not alive, a living donor transplant requires a donor from the patient’s immediate family. Due to the growing number of patients requiring liver transplants, and limited number of cadaveric donors, living donor transplants are always more practical. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) comes as a relief to patients who require immediate transplants and cannot afford to wait for long; and the widespread shortage of cadaveric livers for patients awaiting transplants is not a secret.

LDLT is made possible due to the human liver’s remarkable regenerative capacities. The donor donates a portion of their healthy liver to the patient, and this portion might just be enough to sustain the liver’s normal functions.

Patients opting for a liver transplant abroad are always required to be accompanied by a healthy donor for a living donor liver transplant as cadaveric transplants are not practical for foreign nationals. The waiting list can be really long, in which case having a ready donor is always the best option.

Liver transplants in India cost only a fraction of what they do in the US and UK. Despite the fact that the country offers the most advanced facilities and treatment options, the surgery costs are greatly reduced and the procedure costs anywhere between US $40, 000 – $70, 000. Also, there is virtually no waiting time. Leading surgeons perform liver transplants at the world renowned hospitals which are well equipped and technologically advanced. The doctors are highly qualified and much experienced, as is the staff. Also, when it comes to liver transplants, India has many successes to its credit, including liver transplant surgery in India for the youngest child and the first combined liver-kidney transplant in India.

FOR FOREIGNERS, ONLY LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTS ARE FACILITATED, WHICH REQUIRES THEM TO BRING A HEALTHY, WILLING DONOR (A FAMILY MEMBER) WITH THEM WHEN THEY COME FOR A TRANSPLANT. CADAVERIC TRANSPLANTS ARE NOT PRACTICAL FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS AND ALSO, THE SUCCESS RATE FOR THE FORMER IS MUCH MORE.

Organ transplant surgeries are one of the most expensive and time consuming surgeries. Everything from finding a donor and performing the surgery to the prolonged recovery period and lifelong medication, each factor adds to the cost, making liver transplant difficult to afford for some people. This is where medical tourism centers come in. Offering advanced medical facilities and treatments by highly qualified and experienced doctors, these centers provide safe and quick transplant surgeries at affordable rates.

Because it is a major surgery, the liver transplant recovery period is longer (4-10 weeks), as is the hospital stay. Post the surgery, you will have to take a number of precautions, right from religiously going for follow-ups to taking medication all your life. Due to the nature of the surgery, a liver transplant might require you to be on medication for as long as you live.

Right after the surgery, the patient is put in the Intensive Care Unit or the ICU, even if there are no visible complication to ensure that everything is normal. During the days in the ICU, the body functions, specifically the functioning of the liver, are monitored to make sure there is no dysfunctioning and that the body is working fine with the new organ. Once the patient is stable, he is moved to the general ward where his stay might vary between 1-2 weeks. Discharge is only allowed once the doctor is sure that the body has adjusted with the new liver and the transplant is completely successful.

Follow-ups are the most important and essential part of the liver transplant recovery process. And these should be taken very seriously. A schedule is designed for the patient depending upon a number of factors, and it is of the utmost importance to follow it. Periodic blood test and other check-ups will help the surgeon ensure that everything is on track. Missing a follow ups appointment might end in oversee of a condition which required immediate attention.

After a liver transplant, patients are prescribed numerous medicines. Some of these might be for a definite time, but there are some which might be lifelong. Drugs called immunosuppressants help keep the immune system from attacking the new liver. Other drugs help reduce the risk of other complications post the organ transplant. It is essential to keep these medicines going and take them as and when prescribed.

Not everyone can get a liver transplant surgery. Below are some reasons why your doctor might advise you against an organ transplant:

·      Cancer in another part of your body
·      Serious heart, lung or nerve disease
·      Active alcohol or illegal drug abuse
·      An active, severe infection

Different reasons show different symptoms, but there are some signs of liver dysfunction which require immediate attention:

·      Feeling of being weak, tired or exhausted all the time.
·      Rapid loss of appetite.
·      Constant feeling of being sick in the stomach.
·      Alarming weight loss.
·      Bruising or bleeding easily.
.      Nose bleeds require immediate attention.
·      Bloating due to fluid buildup in the abdomen.
·      Declining mental functions.

• In adults, the most common reason is cirrhosis, caused by many different types of liver injuries which destroy healthy liver cells and replace them with scarred tissue. Viruses such as hepatitis B and C, alcohol, buildup of fat in the liver and hereditary liver diseases are among the main causes of cirrhosis.

• A liver transplant in children is most commonly required due to a condition known as biliary atresia. Bile ducts (tubes that carry bile out of the liver) are either missing ordamaged in this disease. An obstructed bile causes cirrhosis. Bile helps digest food.

As this is an organ transplant, this surgery is much more complicated than other forms. Right from finding a donor to recovering enough to ensure that the organ has been accepted by the body, this is one of the most difficult surgeries to undertake.

A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that removes a liver that no longer functions properly (liver failure) and replaces it with a healthy liver from a living or deceased donor.

Your liver is your largest internal organ and performs several critical functions, including:

• Removing bacteria and toxins from the blood
• Preventing infection and regulating immune responses
• Processing nutrients, medications and hormones
• Producing bile, which helps the body absorb fats, cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins
• Making proteins that help the blood clot

Liver transplant is usually reserved as a treatment option for people who have significant complications due to end-stage chronic liver disease. In rare cases, sudden failure of a previously normal liver may occur.

The human liver regenerates and returns to its normal size shortly after surgical removal of part of the organ. This makes living-donor liver transplant an alternative to waiting for a deceased-donor liver to become available.

Having all of this subspecialized expertise in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not just getting one opinion — your care is discussed among the team, your test results are available quickly, appointments are scheduled in coordination, and your transplant care team works together to determine what's best for you.

Liver transplant, also known as hepatic transplantation, is the replacement of a diseased liver with a healthy liver allograft. A liver transplant surgery is advised when:

·      the doctor finds chronic, irreversible liver dysfunction
·      the recipient does not have other conditions that will preclude a successful transplant
·      liver cancer
·      benign liver tumors
·      hereditary diseases

Sometimes the cause of liver disease remains unknown.