For many people, the transplant process causes them to have a lot of emotions. This is normal. There is no right way to feel after a transplant. You may even have feelings that seem to conflict (like feeling grateful and angry).
Recovering from a liver transplant can be a long process, but most people will eventually be able to return to most of their normal activities and have a good quality of life. 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.
A liver transplant can affect your kidney function. A small number of patients may require temporary dialysis in the early days after the operation. Chronic or long-term kidney problems can occur in up to 40% of patients. This may be due to the immunosuppressant medication you need to take.
Most patients can return to a normal or near-normal activity and participate in fairly vigorous exercise six to 12 months after successful liver transplant surgery.
The long-term outlook for a liver transplant is generally good. More than 9 out of every 10 people are still alive after 1 year, around 8 in every 10 people live at least 5 years, and many people live for up to 20 years or more.
Overall, infections are the most frequent cause of mortality in males and females, though they are significantly higher in females. In our cohort, the main causes of mortality within the first year after transplantation were infections and surgical complications in both sexes.
If your liver transplant was due to an alcohol-related disease, you must never drink alcohol again as you risk harming your transplanted liver. This also applies if alcohol was thought to have contributed to your liver disease, even if it was not the main cause.
This means no rare roast beef or undercooked hamburger. Avoid foods that include raw or undercooked eggs, such as Caesar salad, Hollandaise sauce, some custards, and chocolate mousse. Do not eat soft cheeses, and discard moldy foods. Foods should be well cooked, and they should be served to you hot – not lukewarm.
On analysis of seven studies, pooled prevalence of self-reported alcohol relapse was 26.3% (18.0–36.7%) over median (range) follow-up of 6.0 (3.7–8.3) years, with annual alcohol relapse rate of 4.7% (3.0–6.4%) for any alcohol use and 2.9% (0.5–5.3%) for heavy alcohol use.
Infections continue to be one of the main complications that can contribute to the patient's death. More than half of transplanted patients have at least one infections complication and an infection is responsible of more than half of the deaths in liver transplant recipients.
Complications following transplantation
The most common problems in the liver transplant recipient are the following: Acute graft rejection. Vascular thrombosis. Biliary leak or stricture.
What's the risk of rejection? Rejection happens in up to 30 in 100 patients. The risk of rejection is highest in the first 6 months after a transplant. After this time, your body's immune system is less likely to recognise the liver as coming from another person.
Careful attention to medication schedules, lifestyle changes, infection-avoidance techniques are all important ways to prolong one's life after transplantation.
Their analysis revealed that 25 of them had survived for more than 100 years. Fourteen of these were still in their recipient, and the oldest liver the researchers found was 108 years old, per New Scientist's Carissa Wong.
Your belly and side will be sore for the first 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. You also may have some numbness around the cut (incision) the doctor made. It is common to feel tired while you are healing. It may take 2 to 4 months for your energy to fully return.
Liver transplant recipients are prone to weight gain and metabolic syndrome. This is due to several reasons such as improvement in diet, immunosuppression and reduced stress with improvement of the catabolic state.
This informal policy, often called "the 6-month rule," can be traced to the 1980s. The thinking was that six months of abstinence gave a patient's liver time to heal and, thus, avoid a transplant. If that didn't work, the patient would have proven they can stay sober and would not return to drinking after a transplant.
In the U.S., a widespread practice requires patients with alcoholic liver disease to complete a period of sobriety before they can get on the waiting list for a liver. This informal policy, often called “the 6-month rule,” can be traced to the 1980s.
Nationally, Burton said, about 40% of liver transplants are due to alcohol-related illness, and national data show a spike in liver transplant referrals after March 2020. The liver's role in removing toxins from the blood makes it especially susceptible to alcohol damage.
If rejection occurs, you may experience some mild symptoms, although some patients may continue to feel fine for a while. The most common early symptoms include a fever greater than 100° F or 38° C, increased liver function tests, yellowing of the eyes or skin, and fatigue.
Survival rates
86 percent still alive 1 year after surgery. 78 percent still alive 3 years after surgery. 72 percent still alive 5 years after the surgery. 53 percent still alive 20 years after the surgery.