Liver Transplant Prognosis: Understanding Recovery and Outcomes

Liver transplant is a common procedure needed when a liver is damaged or diseased to the point it no longer functions properly. Hepatitis, birth defects such as biliary atresia, and alcohol can cause liver damage. A transplant can allow patients to live a normal, fully functioning life.

Procedure

• Liver transplant surgery can take up to 14 hours. The damaged liver is removed and replaced with a liver from a deceased person or part of the liver of a living donor.

Risks

• Risks for liver transplant surgery are bleeding, infection, jaundice, swelling, diarrhea, drainage, and fever. Anesthesia risks include breathing problems and reactions to medication.

Prognosis

• Recovery from liver transplant surgery takes about 3 months. You will have regular follow-up doctor visits and be on immunosuppressant medicines to prevent infection and organ rejection.

Considerations

• Finding a suitable liver, the cost of surgery, and the possibility their body will reject the donor liver are problems transplant patients face.

Complications

• Blood vessels going into and out of the liver becoming blocked, and tubes carrying bile out of the liver being damaged are complications of liver transplant surgery.