Hi everyone, my Dad has NAFLD/cirrhosis.. he has recently been referred to Birmingham. What chance does he have to receive a new liver?

[Scottmcd]

NAFLD, CIRRHOSIS

[Hidden]

Hi ScottmcD and welcome to this friendly forum. Other forum members will be able to support you but if you would find it helpful to talk through any of your worries, you can call the nurse led helpline Monday to Friday 10-3 0800 652 7330.

[Scottmcd in reply to Hidden]

Thank you very much for your response.. its so reassuring that I have heard back so quickly.. I will link in with the helpline you have included and hopefully get the information we need.. thank you so much for your help

[AyrshireK]

Hi Scott, a lot of factors will come into play.

Once at Birmingham they will take a full history and decide whether Dad is at the stage of requiring a transplant and if they think now is the time he will undergo a very thorough transplant assessment. This is a whole series of tests and discussions and more which looks at whether Dad's liver is so far gone he actually does need transplant - so whether he is poorly enough to require transplant. The second part of the assessment is all about whether he is fit enough to get through the transplant operation and recovery period. This part looks at lung and heart health and whether there are any other contraindications to transplant (advanced age, cancer out with the liver, poor heart or lung health etc).

At the end of the assessment all the doctors involved in the assessment sit in a big multi disciplinary meeting, discuss the patient and their test results and decide whether the patient is poorly enough to need t/p and whether they are well enough to have the op. If it's all systems go then the patient gets added to the t/p list and begins the wait.

When a patient is on the list they have frequent check ups to keep an eye on their level of priority and when livers become available the co-ordinators check the waiting list to identify the most needy and suitable candidate. (livers are allocated based on blood group, body size, type of donor and the level of need so the most urgent cases get theirs first).

If Dad needs a transplant, meets the criteria and doesn't have any contraindications to transplant then hopefully he will be assessed, listed and receive a timeous gift. We have loads and loads of post transplant members on here so fingers crossed all goes well for Dad.

The BLT has pages dedicated to liver transplantation at:- britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

The whole BLT website is a gold mine of information which might be useful in Dads situation.

All the best,

Katie

[Scottmcd in reply to AyrshireK]

Thank you so much for your reply.. the process seems a lot clearer and I no longer feel as though I am totally in the dark with what the next steps are.. we have already had the confirmation that a t/p is needed.. since I posted my question, Birmingham actually got in touch today to confirm my Dad will need to visit their hospital on Friday for a face to face consultation.. we will have more information after that hopefully... I massively appreciate your help already!.. I have taken charge of my Dads medication and ensure he is taking what is needed, the only other concern I have is in regards to his diet.. could you suggest anything that can help him build his weight back up whilst not causing any further complications. Thanks again

[AyrshireK in reply to Scottmcd]

Ask at Birmingham re. seeing or at least speaking to a liver specialist dietician, this is usually part of transplant assessment process. My hubby was given a specific diet plan tailored to his individual circumstances to build him up but he didn't have NAFLD as the underlying cause of his condition so dietary advice might be different for your Dad. (It's usually eating little and often, avoiding long fasting periods so eating every couple of hours with plenty of carbohydrates and protein including a carbohydrate rich supper to provide fuel over night and low salt to prevent ascites build up).

Make sure you add this to questions to ask at QEB.

Katie

[Scottmcd in reply to AyrshireK]

That all sounds really good, I will make sure all the relevant questions are asked on Friday and then hopefully he should get the right guidance that is specific to him and his condition.. Thank you so much Katie. I'll be sure to link in with once we know what the next steps are.

Scott

[Flowergirl24 in reply to AyrshireK]

I couldn’t have put it better myself and the Birmingham team are fantastic ( I say that because that’s where I had my transplant)

[Phoomph]

After years of being really I'll,many hospital visits,procedures,and ' could ve' diagnosis,I was diagnosed with NAFLD and needed a liver transplant!... I had to go firstly for a 5 day stay to Edinburgh hospital for testing,to make sure I was fit,physically and mentally for transplant..I was successful and put on national transplant list.I was told to go home,have a care packed ready,and wait for ' the call'...It could be days,weeks,months,years,until the perfect match was found!.. I was very lucky,and got the call at 3,45am,in August 2018,and received my transplant,7 WEEKS later....All is well💜..I wish your dad all the best,and good luck..

[Scottmcd in reply to Phoomph]

That's fantastic news, glad to hear everything worked out well for you, and so quickly as well.. these are the sorts of stories I'll be telling my Dad about to make sure he keeps a positive fram of mind. Thank you for sharing your story