Liver transplant surgery is a life-saving procedure that replaces a diseased and failing liver with a healthy one.
Be prepared to wait. Based on your test results, doctors will place you on the waiting list.
The waiting period for a deceased-donor liver transplant can be days, months, or even years.
One can also opt for living-donor liver transplants, which allow the organ recipient to avoid possible health complications of waiting.
Another, less common, type of living-donor liver transplant is called a domino liver transplant. Here, you receive a liver from a living donor who has a rare condition called familial amyloidosis.
If you are waiting for a liver donation or your transplant surgery has already been scheduled, work towards staying healthy.
Once your liver transplant is done, you need to –
Stay in the intensive care unit for a few days
Once stable, spend 5 to 10 days in the hospital
Have frequent check-ups as you continue to recover at home
Take medications as prescribed
It can take up to a year to fully recover, although you’ll usually be able to start gradually building up your activities after a few weeks.
