A liver transplant is a procedure to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a donor's healthy liver. Roughly 6,000 of these transplants are performed in the United States each year, according to MayoClinic.com.
Reasons
Liver transplants are used to treat end-stage liver failure. This can be caused by cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, liver cancer or Wilson's disease.
Risks
Liver transplants can have serious side effects, including bile duct complications, bleeding, memory problems, infections or the body's rejection of the donor liver. The medications given during and after the procedure have side effects such as headache and nausea.
Eligibility
There is a shortage of donor livers in the U.S. Patients needing a liver transplant go on a waiting list, with the sickest people moved to the top of the list, according to the American Liver Foundation.
Donors
Livers for transplant may come from deceased or living donors. Body size and blood type are the most important factors in matching a liver with a donor.
Outlook
Liver transplant patients have a 75 percent five-year survival rate, according to the American Liver Foundation. The survival rate is slightly higher for those who receive tissue from a living donor, according to the foundation.
