Living donor liver transplantation presents an alternative to the traditional deceased liver transplantation.
For individuals awaiting a liver, the outcomes may seem bleak — nationwide, more than 14,000 individuals are waiting for a liver transplant, and in 2016, fewer than 7,500 transplants were performed.
Now, patients have another choice: living donor liver transplantation. Patients can get transplanted sooner, and a living donor transplantation typically lasts longer with better outcomes.
The Benefits of a Living Liver Donation
There are multiple benefits to a live donor liver transplantation. The primary advantage is that you will not have to wait on the transplant waiting list for a liver offer. You will be able to receive a transplant while you are still generally healthy and won’t need to worry about decompensating or while waiting on the transplant list. This also allows the transplant to be scheduled at a time that is best suited to your health and the donor’s availability.
Recipient outcomes using a living liver donor grafts are equal to or better than outcomes using a deceased donor organ. Two reasons for this are that the liver is proven to be from a healthy donor and the transplant is performed at an optimal time.
Contact us today to learn more about living donor liver transplantation or to schedule an appointment.