What is a Living Donor Liver Transplant Surgery?

Liver transplant is a surgical procedure performed when a person’s liver or a part of it fails to function properly, and medication proves ineffective. In the procedure, a healthy liver or a part of it (lobe) is extracted from the donor and surgically transplanted to the recipient. The surgery takes around 4-8 hours and is performed by a liver transplant surgeon who is assisted by a team of medical experts.

In Living Donor Liver Transplant, the donor’s liver and portion of the donor’s liver given to the recipient grow back to their full size within a few weeks. Living Donor liver transplant can also be performed from adult donors to pediatric recipients.

Being the largest internal organ, a properly functioning liver is imperative to keep your body healthy. Liver transplant usually comes as a treatment option when the patient faces significant complications due to severe physical trauma or end-stage chronic liver diseases such as liver cancer. It also serves as a major procedure for liver cirrhosis treatment.

According to a late survey, liver disease has become a distressing problem in Pakistan with around 5% of people infected with hepatitis C virus and over 2 million in critical need of a liver transplant. Moreover, lack of awareness among the general populace and poor standards of living have been detrimental to its containment, treatment and cure.