1 Liver Transplant Doctors in Chennai

Frequently Asked Questions 

What is Liver Transplant or Liver Transplantation?

Liver Transplantation is a surgical procedure which involves transplanting the damaged liver with either complete or partial part of the healthy liver from the donor. This surgery improves the patients quality of life and treats several acute and chronic liver diseases. 

What are the advantages of a Liver Transplant?

Following are the advantages of Liver Transplant:

1. Improves patient quality of life
2. Restores liver function
3. Treats both chronic and moderate liver diseases
4. Cures Wilson’s disease

What are the indications of Liver Transplant?

Liver Transplant may be indicated in the following conditions:

1. Chronic liver failure
2. Liver diseases that are not responding to the medications

What is the preparation for Liver Transplant?

1. Inform the doctor about past and present medical and medication history.
2. The doctor will examine the patient for MELD score.
3. Avoid alcohol consumption for 6 months.
4. Discuss with the doctor regarding risks, complications, and benefits of getting a liver transplant.
5. The doctor may recommend few tests such as liver function tests, blood tests, and urine tests.

What are the steps involved in Liver Transplant?

Liver Transplantation includes the following steps:

1. The liver is taken without using any anesthesia if the donor is deceased. By using anesthesia, the live donor will be sedated and the blood vessels that are connected to the liver and bile ducts are separated.
2. The patient will be sedated and the blood vessels of the liver and bile ducts are separated.
3. The damaged liver will be replaced by either a complete liver or a portion of the liver from the donor.
4. After transplanting the healthy liver, the surgeon will connect the blood vessels and bile ducts.

What is the postprocedure care/recovery care for Liver Transplant?

1. All the vital signs and liver functions of the patient will be monitored by the doctors and nurses for up to 4-5 days in the hospital.
2. Immunosuppressants may be provided to avoid liver rejection by the immune system.
3. The doctor will plan several follow-ups to check the condition of the new liver.

Who can perform this [Right specialist type for Liver Transplant]?

Liver Transplantation can be performed by:

1. Gastroenterologist with successfully performed liver transplantations.
2. Trained Hepatologist in liver transplantation.
3. Experienced General surgeon.

What is the cost of a Liver Transplant in Chennai?

In Chennai, Liver Transplant cost depends on factors such as:

1. Surgeon  experience
2. Type of liver disease
3. Surgeon fee
4. Post-surgical complications that are involved
5. Health condition of the patient
6. Relationship to the donor 

The minimum cost of Liver Transplant in Chennai starts from Rs. 30,00,000

Average price of Liver Transplant in Chennai is approximately Rs. 30,00,000

Maximum expenses of Liver Transplant in Chennai rises up to Rs. 30,00,000

What is the ineligibility criteria for a Liver Transplant?

Liver Transplant is not recommended for the following individuals:

1. Individuals who cannot control alcohol consumption
2. People suffering from liver cancer outside of the liver.
3. Individuals who are suffering from acute liver disease that can be treated with medications.

What are the risks and complications associated with Liver Transplant?

Risks and complications of Liver Transplant are:

1. Organ[liver] failure
2. Infection at the site of surgery
3. Bile leakage
4. Bile ducts shrinkage
5. Organ [liver] rejection by the immune system
6. Formation of blood clots
7. Blood loss

How long does it take to complete Liver Transplant?

The surgeon may take about 4-8 hours to complete the Liver Transplantation. 

What is the recovery time?

Recovery time from Liver Transplantation maybe around 3-5 months.

What is the success rate of Liver Transplant?

A few factors play a big role in the success rate of Liver transplant and they are:

1. Condition of the patient's immune system
2. The severity of the liver disease
3. Surgeon experience in performing 
4. Liver Transplantation

The success rate of a Liver Transplant maybe 75% to 89%.

Is Liver Transplant painful?

The patient will be sedated before the surgery begins and cannot feel any type of pain during the surgery process.

Is Liver Transplant Permanent?

Liver Transplantation is a permanent procedure as it involves removing the damaged or diseased liver and replacing it with a healthy liver.

What are the long-term effects of a Liver Transplant?

There are some long-term effects for Liver Transplant and few of them are:

1. Liver rejection  by the immune system
2. Improve in the patient quality of life
3. Increases the life expectancy of patients suffering from chronic liver disease
4. Increased risk of developing a heart disease

Can Liver Transplant be detected in the future?

Due to the presence of scars at the site of surgery, Liver Transplant may be detected in the future. 

What are the options if the Liver Transplant is not successful?

The doctor may prescribe immunosuppressants almost for a lifetime to prevent the immune system from rejecting the transplanted liver. 

What are the alternatives for Liver Transplant?

Alternatives to Liver Transplant are:

1. Bioartificial liver devices
2. Hepatocyte transplantation
3. Extracorporeal artificial liver device