Liver Transplant Surgery: Cost, Procedure, and Success Rate
The liver is the largest internal organ that weighs around 1200-1500 grams and is located below the diaphragm. A healthy liver is essential for a healthy lifestyle as it performs complex functions.
Some of the primary functions of the liver include:
Supplying oxygenated blood to the body.
Producing necessary elements for the absorption of vitamins and fats.
Blood purification and detoxification.
Bile production.
If the liver does not perform any of its essential functions the way it should, then this could lead to liver failure. In such a scenario, surgery for liver transplantation might also take place.
What is Liver Transplant?
Liver Transplant, also known as a hepatic transplant, is a surgery that is performed to cure the patient suffering from liver failure or end-stage disease. In this, a patient’s harmful/diseased liver is replaced with a healthy liver. It can be substituted with a partial or whole liver from the donor based on the surgical needs and the patient’s medical history.
What is the procedure for Liver Transplant Process?
Liver transplant surgery is said to be a life-saving treatment, as the liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate injured or lost tissue. Due to this, the approximate liver transplant cost in India is around 20-30 Lakh rupees depending on the severity of the condition.
But, before a successful liver transplant, there is an extensive procedure to be followed:
The patient should be willing and determined to go through successful transplantation.
Finding the right donor based on specific tests and blood type.
The evaluation process is performed to ensure that the patient is healthy enough to tolerate the surgery.
The patient is even evaluated if, further, they can take live-long medications.
Further, the patient has to undergo a specific test which will examine if they have any other illness that might interfere with the recovery process.
Next, the patient is asked to sign certain documents for the acceptance of liver transplantation.
After the above-mentioned steps are completed, only then liver transplant surgery takes place.
After a successful surgery, the patient has to stay in intensive care for a few days and then 5-10 days in the hospital to monitor the recovery process.
Later, the patient has to take extensive care, come up for routine checkups, and take medications accordingly.
After a few months, the patient can resume work, but it will take a minimum of 6 months to complete recovery.
Recovery and Success Rate after the Liver Transplant
According to a study, there is an 89% chance of living after the liver transplant for one year. It is a 75% survival rate for the next five years. The recovery entirely depends on whether or not the patient’s body and the immune system accept the liver donor or not.
Liver transplant has reformed the cure for liver failures. Although, the scarcity of donors is still a concern for limiting its use. Creating awareness through mouth-to-mouth publicity, use of social media, and advertisement for healthy liver amongst the people is crucial as Liver transplant cost in India is high, and not everyone can afford it.
After the transplant, the patient should follow the doctor’s diet recommendations and take utmost care of themselves. Further, they should also incorporate healthy habits like physical exercise and diet.
For a successful transplant, the patient should select a reputed hospital such as Max Hospital, India. They are the pioneers in the field of successful liver transplant and have a team of professional surgeons with 20 years of experience and who have performed over 3000 liver transplants. We perform surgeries with minimal access and without any complications.