Does anyone know about liver transplants? - British Liver Trust

British Liver Trust

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Does anyone know about liver transplants?

charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image

I have got cirrhosis and my mum keeps saying I can have half of her liver, does anyone know anything about all this stuff? Presumably there are some sort of rules and stuff?!

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charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image
charleeeeeeeeeeeee
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10 Replies
66766 profile image
66766

Live donor transplants are done in some transplant centers, as long as the donor is in

good health and a good match. Most will have a cut off for meld or ukeld score and the donor

usually has an upper age limit of 50 or so. Success rates are high, there is some risk to the

donor and it is not old enough to have long range statistics regarding donor health.

charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image
charleeeeeeeeeeeee in reply to 66766

hmmm, so even if its my mum and she wants to, shes too old so theyd say no?

AyrshireK profile image
AyrshireK

The recipient would have to be assessed for transplant and listed for a transplant in the usual way before a live donor would be considered (you have to be ill enough and yet fit enough to endure the surgery). A potential live donor then has to go through a similar assessment to the recipient in order to check that they are fit enough too. Surgeons will always prefer to go the cadaver donor route due to the potential risk to the donor.

As you are currently symptom free from your cirrhosis you are no where near the stage that you'd be considered for transplant assessment.

charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image
charleeeeeeeeeeeee in reply to AyrshireK

Again, if we are bot fit and well, there is no chance? What if a parent passes away (I know that's morbid), can they specify its for you if you are on the list? Or would it go to someone else on the list?

66766 profile image
66766 in reply to charleeeeeeeeeeeee

There are direct donations if the donor or their family wish to do so. Age is

something that is considered by all transplant centers as they want the live donor

to be able to recover from surgery.

charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image
charleeeeeeeeeeeee in reply to 66766

That's great thanks 66766!

AyrshireK profile image
AyrshireK in reply to charleeeeeeeeeeeee

They won't list you for transplant if you are not ill enough to require it and only if you were listed would they assess possible live donors. Not only that some recipients (depending on size/stature) will not be suitable for a live/split liver donor liver.

As you don't even have a 100% confirmed diagnosis yet you are rather 'jumping the gun' a bit.

charleeeeeeeeeeeee profile image
charleeeeeeeeeeeee in reply to AyrshireK

AyreshireK, thank you so much! I know it's jumping the gun a lot, it's mostly to help my mum come to terms with the news that I have cirrhosis and help her with all the questions she has.

I am I hope a long way off needing a transplant!

Paulio profile image
Paulio

What does your Doctor say about your cirrhosis and possible transplant by your Mother?

I think as yet guys I am a long way off needing all this knowledge, I know I have confirmed, established cirrhosis from a biopsy, but I am still waiting for the fibroscan. My blood results I just got today are;

Aminotransferase - 17

ALP - 51

Bilirubin - 10

GGT - 34

Albumin - 50

I think all of these are normal! I am trying my best to be so, so healthy and rectify all the damage I have done. I wish it were reversible, I'd just like to have a long and happy life with kids, a family and some sort of good health.

Thank you all for your help :-)

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