Frequently Asked Questions
Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ (or part of an organ) for transplantation to another person. The living donor can be a family member, such as a parent, child, brother or sister (living related donation).
Living donation can also come from someone who is emotionally related to the recipient, such as a spouse or an in-law or a very close friend (living unrelated donation).
The main advantage is the transplant can be booked for a time that best meets the needs of the recipient and donor. Because cadaver livers are allocated based on medical urgency, recipients often wait until they are the sickest on the list, and are weaker going into surgery. Some patients may develop complications that preclude transplantation or may even die while on the transplant list. As living donors are usually young, healthy adults who have undergone a thorough medical evaluation, there is a high degree of confidence that the donor liver is of good quality. Preservation time (when the liver is without blood) is minimal. Long term survival of the graft is greater with a living donor.
The donor could either be a relative, spouse, or close friend.
The donor could either be a relative, spouse, or close friend.
As with any surgery involving general anesthesia, there are possible complications, including heart complications, stroke and blood clot formation in the legs or lungs. There is also a risk that the remaining portion of your liver will fail and you will need an urgent liver transplant yourself. While these complications are very rare, the risks exist, and we will discuss them with you in more detail during the evaluation. The most common complications of this surgery are small bile leaks from the remaining portion of your liver, minor wound infections, and gastrointestinal upsets such as constipation, indigestion, occasional nausea or diarrhea. These usually resolve after a couple of weeks.
The liver is divided into a right lobe, consisting of 60% total liver volume and a left lobe, consisting of 40% total liver volume. The anatomical division between the lobes permits surgeons to divide the liver into two distinct sections, which can function independently of each other.
The size of the portion and specific part of the liver that is donated depends on the size or needs of the recipient and liver size and anatomy. For instance:
We strongly advise that donors stop smoking, even if they are a light smoker. Heavy smokers may be excluded from donation due to their increased risks.
It is best that live liver donors stop drinking. If they have a history of alcohol use, it is very important that to notify the team.
No. While every step is taken to ensure the scheduled surgery date and time, a number of situations could arise that may create a change in plans. The recipient's condition might deteriorate or they may become ill with an infection. Also, due to emergencies, the Operating room and/ICU may not be able to accommodate the surgery on the scheduled day.
The donor surgery usually begins early in the morning and may last between 6 to 9 hours. The recipient's surgery usually begins an hour after the start of donor surgery. The recipient's surgery may take up to 10-12 hours.
Blood transfusion during this surgery is unusual, although it may be necessary.
Yes, for the first couple of days donor will have a catheter in urinary bladder, IV line in neck and an intravenous (IV) lines in arm to provide them with fluids, and to allow medications to be administered.
The donor may also have one or two tubes (drains) from their abdominal area to drain bile or blood. One may be discharged with one or both of these tubes to be removed at a later date. Doctors and Nurses will instruct the donor on the care of these drains once the donor is discharged from the hospital.
