Procedure guide · Hepatology and liver transplant surgery
In a living-donor liver transplant a healthy relative gives part of their liver to a person with severe liver disease. MedlinePlus notes that the liver can regrow in a living donor. In India foreign nationals need a near-relative donor and committee approval. Two people have major surgery. So both need careful assessment by the transplant team.
What is a living-donor liver transplant?
MedlinePlus describes a liver transplant as surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy one. With a living donor, a healthy person gives part of their liver. The page notes that this is often a parent giving to a child. After a successful transplant both donor and recipient usually have working livers. MedlinePlus is also clear that liver transplant surgery and the care that follows carry major risks.
Who may be suitable?
In adults the most common reason is cirrhosis. MedlinePlus lists causes such as long-term hepatitis B or C and long-term alcohol misuse. In children the most common reason is biliary atresia. Other causes include autoimmune hepatitis and some metabolic disorders.
A transplant is often not advised for people with an active infection, serious heart or lung disease, a history of cancer, ongoing smoking or alcohol or drug misuse, or difficulty taking medicines several times a day. MedlinePlus also names a lack of a good support system as a concern. The transplant team weighs all of this. They decide who is suitable as a recipient and who is fit to donate.
The donor rule in India
The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act defines near relatives as parents, children, siblings and spouse, with grandparents and grandchildren added in 2011. For foreign nationals the donor must be a near relative, certified by the embassy on Form 21 and approved by the hospital’s Authorisation Committee. IndiaMedica never sources donors.
Which reports does a transplant team usually ask for?
MedlinePlus lists blood and tissue typing, infection screening, heart tests, cancer screening and imaging of the liver and nearby organs. Before travel a team will usually ask for recent liver function tests, imaging reports and images, and a summary from your hepatologist. They will also ask about the proposed donor. Ask the hospital for its exact list for both people.
How do you plan a trip for two patients?
Plan for donor and recipient as two patients with separate needs. The stages are records review, legal paperwork, travel, evaluation of both people, committee approval, surgery and recovery. MedlinePlus notes that recipients often stay near the hospital after discharge. Your team will say for how long. Bring at least one more attendant who is not having surgery. That person handles meals, paperwork and the pharmacy. At home the recipient needs a hepatologist for long-term blood tests and medicines. The donor also needs follow-up.
What should you ask the hospital?
- Is the hospital registered for liver transplantation under the Act?
- How is the donor assessed, and who speaks for the donor’s safety?
- What happens if the donor is found unsuitable during evaluation?
- Which documents must our embassy provide?
- What follow-up will the donor need at home?
- Which immunosuppressant medicines will the recipient take, and are they available at home?
Questions people ask
Does the donor’s liver grow back?
MedlinePlus states that the liver can regrow itself in a living donor. The donor still has major surgery with real risks. The transplant team assesses the donor separately and only proceeds if they judge the donor fit.
Can a cousin or friend donate part of their liver?
For foreign nationals IndiaMedica only supports donation by a near relative. The Act lists parents, children, siblings, spouse, grandparents and grandchildren. The embassy certifies the relationship and the hospital’s Authorisation Committee must approve it.
What happens after a liver transplant?
MedlinePlus says almost all recipients take medicines to suppress the immune system for life. Regular blood tests, check-ups and imaging continue for years. Your team will hand over a plan for your hepatologist at home.
Sources
- MedlinePlus: Liver transplant
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (DGHS): Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act overview
- Press Information Bureau: Transplantation of Human Organs Act amendment
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.