Organ and Cell Transplantation - Living Donor Liver Transplants
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Scripps Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation
Over the last two decades, liver transplantation has experienced increasing success as a therapy for patients with end-stage liver disease. As a result, more than 17,000 patients across the country are waiting for a liver transplant.
Despite attempts to increase donation and despite the use of novel techniques such as dividing one liver in order to transplant two patients, only around 5,000 liver transplants are done each year. Because the number of patients awaiting liver transplantation greatly exceeds the supply of organs available, additional options are needed in order to transplant individuals in a timely manner.
Living donor liver transplantation is one option now available to people with liver disease waiting for a transplant at the Scripps Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation. This form of liver transplant involves the removal of part of the liver from a healthy relative or close friend to be used for transplantation into the recipient. This option is possible because of the unique ability of the liver to regenerate close to its original size in a matter of weeks.
Living donor liver transplantation was first introduced in the United States in 1989 to help treat children with liver failure. The size of the child and the ability to use a small part of the left lobe of the liver made this treatment option successful. The knowledge gained from the success of adult- to- child living donation has now allowed us to introduce living donor liver transplantation as a treatment option for the adult population. However, the mass of the left lobe of the liver used in children is generally not large enough to meet the needs of most adult recipients. For this reason, the larger right lobe of the donor’s liver is most often used in the adult population.
Each potential donor must go through an extensive medical and psychiatric evaluation to determine if he or she is a candidate for the operation. The donation surgery and the parts of the evaluation have associated risks. After completing the initial screening process, a physician from the transplant team will discuss the donation process with the potential donor at length before any such procedures are performed. In addition to the information provided by members of our transplant team, educational materials and resources will also be made available. The evaluation process for a potential donor usually takes about one month to complete, although it may require less or more time depending upon the donor’s health.
We are excited about the opportunity to offer this treatment option to our patients with end stage liver disease. If you would like more information regarding our program, please feel free to call us at 858-554-4310.