How Liver Transplant Success Rate Can Ease Your Pain?

Liver transplant:

A liver transplant is also referred to as a hepatic transplant which is important for the proper functioning of the body. It is a medical procedure to replace the failed liver with a healthy liver from a living person donor or a deceased donor. 

Liver is responsible for filtering out toxins from the body, providing nutrients, hormones, and medicines to the body, and several other functions required for the efficient functioning of the body. Liver transplant is the best treatment option for acute liver disease or chronic liver disease. 

Liver transplant survival Rate:

Liver transplant success rate in India is the highest. People who undergo liver transplants have an 89% chance of living after a year. And the 5-year survival rate is 75%. This is because sometimes, the transplanted liver may fail or the disease may come back. 

Hence, it is vital for your doctor to monitor your recovery period after the transplant to look for problems. You’ll likely need regular blood tests and require to take timely anti-rejection medicines for the rest of your lives to prevent liver transplant rejection. 

Why is liver transplant surgery performed?

A liver transplant is the last treatment option when all other treatments have been ruled out for chronic liver conditions. A person will require an immediate liver transplant otherwise he may die due to liver failure. Cirrhosis - scarring and hardening of the liver are the most common reasons for a liver transplant. Cirrhosis replaces healthy liver tissue with a scarred tissue. Following are the causes of cirrhosis:

• Overconsumption of alcohol

• Autoimmune hepatitis

• Metabolic disorders

• Biliary atresia (newborns)

• Non Alcoholic fatty liver disease

• Chronic hepatitis B and C 

For successful liver transplantation, your transplanted team will take other factors into consideration if you need a liver transplant. 

• Your mental well being

• The severity of your condition

• Overall physical well-being

• Other medical conditions if any

• History of tuberculosis and uncontrolled HIV infection

• Level of social and family support 

A doctor will look for all the above conditions and decide if you’re fit as a candidate for a successful liver transplant. For instance, a person who has cancer that has spread beyond the liver and a person with a severe heart condition. 

Liver transplant has excellent results and the longest liver transplant survival. Recipients have known to live for over 30 years after the transplant. This means that for every 100 people who undergo a transplant, 75 will live for up to 5 years while 25 may die within a span of 5 years. According to medical statistics, there is a survival rate of 87% for patients with deceased donor liver and a 92% chance of survival from a living person donor liver. People who receive living donor liver have a long-term survival rate compared to the people who receive from a deceased donor. 

Failure to take immunosuppressants (anti-rejection drugs) is the number one cause of liver failure. Close follow-up with your transplant team and with immense care can ensure excellent outcomes. Adopting healthy lifestyle choices, paying attention to medical schedules, and following all the precautions given by your doctor are ways to lead a prolonged life after liver transplantation. 

Life after liver transplant:

After the surgery, the first three months are a challenging time. The body is trying to adjust to the new liver with the help of anti-rejection drugs. Most patients can lead a normal life after 3-6 months of the liver transplant. Maintaining regular physical activity, traveling to work or leisure, socializing, playing sports are all possible. People can start with normal life after a periodic recovery after a liver transplant. 

Is there a chance of the disease to relapse?

Yes, in some cases there is a chance of the disease to come back. For example in viral hepatitis C, your doctor will monitor you very closely to avoid reoccurrence of the liver disease. 

Liver transplant facts:

Some facts that you must know about liver transplant surgery:

• cirrhosis- scarring of the liver tissues is the most common reason for liver transplant.

• The five-year survival rate of liver transplants is 75%.

• Liver transplant is required when the liver fails to function to its potential or due to long-lasting liver disease. 

• The number of liver transplant operations are extensively increasing

• Donated livers can either come from deceased donors or a living person donor. 

• First successful liver transplant was performed in 1967.