Advancing Age and Liver transplantation

[findasolution]

Hello All,

From reading the numerous blogs and questions on this site it appears that a large number of people have undergone liver transplants. This leaves me wondering whether there are any amongst those numbers who migh have been considered as being of an advanced age at the time of the transplant, i.e. over age 70 years. If so what were your experiences and what has been the degree of success?

I ask the question because I fall within that age group and have a non alcohol related liver disease in respect of which I was recently asked by those treating me whether I wanted to be put forward for an assessment to be placed on the transplant list. This may have been part of normal protocol but I had not really thought about it in any depth before then because I had always thought that once beyond a certain age I would not be thought worthy of trying to salvage.However it seems this may have been incorrrect thinking and that a patient's general overall health, including cardiac and kidney functioning as well as ability to withstand the procedure etc is perhaps more important than the age factor..

Anyhow will be pleased to hear from anyone in that age group who may have had a transplant or from anyone that can relate the experiences of someone they know in that age group who has had one?

Thank you

.

[arrabella82]

My sister had a liver transplant at age 69. she had cirrohsis due to alpha anti trypsin deficency. That was 6 years ago. She is going very well apart from relatively minor ailments resulting from the anti rejection medication.

Good luck with your future

[Tinabean]

My husband has non alcoholic cirrhosis, he has been told he is not a candidate for transplant at 64, however its not just his age, he has diabetes, enlarged spleen, high blood pressure etc, i think if you are otherwise healthy you should be considered at any age, nobodys life has more value than anyone else xx

[Hidden]

I don't think there is a formal age limit but admission to the transplant list is based on a score obtained from a number of measures of blood chemistry called UKELD which allows transplant teams to calculate likely survival rates with quality of life. Not sure quite how the calculations work in combination with other factors it it may be worth asking your consultant for a more detailed explanation.