You can expect to be in hospital for 7-14 days after a liver transplant. The first few days are spent in the intensive care unit to allow the extensive monitoring that is required. If you are recovering well from the surgery, the transplant team will be happy for you to be discharged home.
You will be kept on a breathing machine (ventilator) for a day or so and will be followed very closely by the staff there. The average length of stay in the ICU is two days, after which you will be transferred to the medical floor/ transplant unit.
If your recovery is going well, after 8 weeks, you will usually be encouraged to start moderate exercise. This could be walking, jogging, swimming or cycling. Most sports and activities are possible but you should avoid heavy contact sports (rugby, martial arts, boxing) as these risk damaging your liver transplant.
The waiting period for a deceased donor transplant can range from less than 30 days to more than 5 years. How long you will wait depends on how badly you need a new liver.
There is pain after liver transplant surgery, however it is generally not as severe as with other abdominal surgeries. This is because nerves are severed during the initial abdominal incision causing numbness of the skin around the abdomen. These nerves regenerate over the following six months and sensation returns.
Your Recovery
Your doctor will take out your diseased liver when you get a donor liver. 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.
Recovery after liver transplantation depends in part on how ill the patient was prior to surgery. Most patients are hospitalized for seven to 10 days after liver transplant. Afterward, they generally recuperate at home and typically return to work or school after about three months.
How long you need to be off work will depend on your job and how quickly you recover. Some people are able to return to work after 3 months, although others may need more time off. Your transplant team can advise you about this.
You must have a caregiver with you 24 hours a day for at least 6 weeks after you leave the hospital. Being a caregiver is a big responsibility. You may need more than one person to help you for the first few months after your liver transplant.
Cancer is a significant cause of illness and death in liver transplant patients. Following liver transplant, the risk of developing cancers rises for nearly all types of cancers, but more commonly skin cancer, lymphoma and smoking-related cancers.
Although vascular complications (VCs) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) seldom occur, they are the most feared complications with a high incidence of both graft loss and mortality, as they compromise the blood flow of the transplant (either inflow or outflow).
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. Chronic rejection happens in 2 in 100 patients.
However, a liver transplant is a major operation that carries a risk of some potentially serious complications. These can occur during, soon after, or several years after the procedure. Some of the main problems associated with liver transplants include: your body rejecting the new liver.
Liver Transplant Duration
The duration of liver transplant surgery depends on how complex your case is. On average, the surgery can take between 6-12 hours.
A liver transplant is a big operation that has a risk of some serious complications. These can happen during, soon after, or even years afterwards. Some of the main complications and risks of a liver transplant are: your body attacking the new liver (rejection)
You can expect to be in hospital for 7-14 days after a liver transplant. The first few days are spent in the intensive care unit to allow the extensive monitoring that is required. If you are recovering well from the surgery, the transplant team will be happy for you to be discharged home.
To help care for your liver, you will need to:
Eat a healthy diet, exercise, not smoke cigarettes and not drink alcohol. Contact your doctor if you are feeling ill. Have your labs drawn as directed by your doctor, including any additional testing. Follow lifting, walking, showering and activity restrictions.
A transplanted liver may be more sensitive to damage by chemicals, including alcohol. The transplantation team recommends that recipients avoid overuse of alcoholic beverages after transplantation.
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.
Surgical Procedure
The short, straight portion of the incision that extends up to the breastbone is 3 to 4 inches long. The incision from one side of the rib cage to the other is from 12 to 16 inches long.
Liver transplant survival statistics
According to a study , people who have a liver transplant have an 89% percent chance of living after one year. The five-year survival rate is 75 percent . Sometimes the transplanted liver can fail, or the original disease may return.
Main advantages of a successful liver transplant: Most liver transplant patients live longer. Most enjoy a better quality of life. Less chance of dying from liver disease.
Throughout the United States, patients waiting for liver transplants are prioritized based on the severity of their illness, as measured by what's called the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The score uses blood tests to determine how urgently you need a liver transplant within the next three months.
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.