Liver Transplantation
Liver transplantation is the only treatment for individuals with liver failure and is one of the most common organ transplant surgeries. The damaged organ is replaced with a healthy one, either from a deceased donor or, in the case of a living donor, a portion of the liver is taken to transplant into the recipient.
Reasons for Resorting to Liver Transplantation
Acute Liver Failure
An individual may have a normal liver, then develop a disease such as drug toxicity or viral infections, leading to a rapid deterioration in their condition. The liver's functions become inadequate, posing a threat to their life. In such cases, liver transplantation is performed.
Chronic Liver Failure
A patient may suffer from chronic liver failure due to various reasons, such as:
- Viral infections like hepatitis B and C.
- Development of liver cirrhosis due to excessive alcohol consumption.
- Inflammation or damage to liver cells resulting from fat accumulation in the liver.
- Biliary tract diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and biliary atresia, which are among the most common conditions among children.
- Genetic diseases directly affecting the liver, such as hemochromatosis leading to excessive iron accumulation in the liver, and Wilson's disease leading to excessive copper accumulation in the liver.
- Contracting liver cancer, with liver cancer being the most common.
In such cases, the patient's condition gradually deteriorates due to the liver's failure to perform its functions, manifesting symptoms such as jaundice, fluid retention in the abdomen, mental deterioration, or symptoms of liver cancer. Despite the liver functioning to some extent, the patient may not tolerate some severe symptoms that arise, such as severe itching that is not alleviated by medical treatments. All these factors necessitate liver transplantation.
