Because anti-rejection medicines affect the immune system, people who have a transplant are at a higher risk for infections. Some of the infections you will be at greater risk for include:. Oral yeast infection thrush. For the first few months after your surgery, you should avoid contact with crowds or anyone who has an infection.
Each person may have different symptoms of rejection. Some common symptoms of rejection include:. The symptoms of rejection may look like other health problems. Talk with your transplant team about any concerns you have. It is important to see them and speak with them often.
One to two times per month, Virtual Advisors receive a link to short, interactive surveys. All responses are confidential. Health Home Treatments, Tests and Therapies. In most cases the healthy liver will come from an organ donor who has just died. People who donate part of their liver can have healthy lives with the liver that is left. Why might I need a liver transplant? Other diseases that may lead to end-stage liver disease include: Acute hepatic necrosis.
The transplant evaluation process If your provider thinks you may be a good candidate for a liver transplant, he or she will refer you to a transplant center for evaluation. The transplant center team will include: A transplant surgeon A transplant provider specializing in treating the liver a hepatologist Transplant nurses A social worker A psychiatrist or psychologist Other team members such as a dietitian, a chaplain, or an anesthesiologist The transplant evaluation process includes: Psychological and social evaluation.
Have severe heart problems or other health problems Have a serious condition besides liver disease that would not get better after a transplant Are not able to follow a treatment plan Drink too much alcohol Getting on the waiting list If you are accepted as a transplant candidate, your name will be placed on a national transplant waiting list. What are the risks of a liver transplant? How do I get ready for a liver transplant?
You may be given medicine to help you relax a sedative before the surgery. Your healthcare provider may have other instructions for you based on your medical condition.
What happens during a liver transplant? Generally, a liver transplant follows this process: You will be asked to remove your clothing and given a gown to wear. You will be placed on your back on the operating table. If there is too much hair at the surgical site, it may be clipped off. A catheter will be put into your bladder to drain urine. The skin over the surgical site will be cleaned with a sterile antiseptic solution. The diseased liver will be removed after it has been cut off from the blood vessels.
Your surgeon will check the donor liver before implanting it in your body. The new liver will be attached to your bile ducts. The incision will be closed with stitches or surgical staples. A drain may be placed in the incision site to reduce swelling. A sterile bandage or dressing will be applied. What happens after a liver transplant?
In the hospital After the surgery you may be taken to the recovery room for a few hours before being taken to the intensive care unit ICU. Your transplant team will teach you how to take care of yourself when you go home.
At home Once you are home, you must keep the surgical area clean and dry. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of the following: Fever. This may be a sign of rejection or infection. Redness, swelling, or bleeding or other drainage from the incision site More pain around the incision site.
This may be a sign of infection or rejection. The liver is an organ located in the upper right part of the belly abdomen.
It is beneath the diaphragm and on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines. The liver has many functions. Click Image to Enlarge. The liver has 2 main sections lobes. If there is an accumulation of bilirubin, the skin and eyes turn yellow.
When the liver has broken down harmful substances, its by-products are excreted into the bile or blood. Bile by-products enter the intestine and leave the body in the form of feces. Blood by-products are filtered out by the kidneys, and leave the body in the form of urine. Health Home Conditions and Diseases. Liver: Anatomy and Functions Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Share on Pinterest Share via Email Print this Page Liver Gallbladder and Pancreas Anatomy of the liver The liver is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity, beneath the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines.
The most common causes are:. The other type of liver failure is known as chronic liver failure. This overall liver deterioration is often due to things like:.
Depending on your health and the health of your liver, you may be a candidate for a liver transplant , a surgery in which a diseased liver is removed and replaced with a piece of or an entire healthy one from a donor. The person would have signed a donor organ card before their death. The organ may also be donated postmortem with the consent of the family. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases reports that most donated livers come from deceased donors.
In this process, someone who is still alive — often a family member or close friend — agrees to donate part of their healthy liver. One study found that of 6, liver transplants performed in , only 4 percent were from living donors. Your doctor may recommend an orthotopic or heterotopic transplant. In an orthotopic transplant, the diseased liver is entirely removed and replaced with a healthy donor liver or segment of liver. In a heterotopic transplant, the damaged liver is left in place and a healthy liver or segment of liver is put in.
While orthotopic transplants are the most common, a heterotopic one may be suggested if:. A doctor may opt for a heterotopic transplant if your liver failure is caused by a genetic condition that future gene research may find a cure or viable treatment for.
With your liver intact, you may be able to take advantage of these new advances. In fact, one transplant surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh estimates that you only need 25 to 30 percent of your liver to maintain normal functions.
Over time, the liver will grow to about its normal size. People who receive a liver from a deceased donor tend to get transplanted with the entire organ.
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