Responsibilities Before & After a Liver Transplant
A liver transplant brings the hope of extended life for a person with liver failure. Since there is no known cure for many diseases of the liver, and since to date, medical technology has not developed a method for a patient to live with complete liver failure (as dialysis has allowed kidney patients to do), a liver transplant is some patients' only chance at life. A patient chosen for a liver transplant must fulfill certain responsibilities before and after the transplant for optimal results.
Background
Thousands of Americans receive liver transplants every year -- 6,500 of them in 2005, according to the American Liver Foundation -- and the number of transplants performed increases each year. Many more Americans who need a transplant will not get one because they die before they can receive a donated liver. Cirrhosis, Wilson's disease and hepatitis are among the conditions that can cause liver failure and necessitate a liver transplant.
Donors
A person who has died in an accident or of certain illnesses or conditions can donate his organs, including the liver, provided that he indicated before his death his willingness to be a donor, or if the next of kin authorizes donation. Some liver transplants are done from living donors -- a person, usually a blood relative of the patient, who donates part of her own liver. The donated portion regenerates after the surgery.
Pre-Transplant Patient Responsibilities
To be eligible for a liver transplant, a patient must be evaluated on several criteria, including substance abuse. A psychologist or psychiatrist will work with a patient to ensure that she can handle the stresses of a liver transplant and maintain a strict ongoing treatment regimen. Once identified as a candidate for a liver transplant, the patient should take good care of herself and remain as emotionally and physically healthy as possible. The patient stays in touch with a transplant coordinator, and must update the coordinator with any changes in her health or social status so that the coordinator will know if she can accept a liver that comes available.
Post-Transplant Patient Responsibilities
After a liver transplant, the patient must take anti-rejection medication indefinitely. The transplant team will treat the transplant recipient for up to a year as an outpatient after his discharge from the hospital. After that, the patient must coordinate his ongoing treatment with his primary-care physician.
Warning
Without anti-rejection drugs, complications of a liver transplant are much more likely. Sometimes a patient will experience side effects from the drugs, but she should not discontinue the treatment. A post-transplant coordinator will work with the patient to adjust the medications as necessary.
