Liver Transplantation: The Basics

The liver is one of the body's largest organs and has a large range of important biological functions. It supports nearly every organ in the body and plays a key role in regulating metabolism, detoxifying the body of harmful substances, and digestion. The liver has sizable reserves and a great capacity to regenerate itself. Often, symptoms aren't evident until significant damage has been done. At present, there is no known way to medically compensate for the loss of a liver.

Liver transplantation replaces a severely diseased or irreversibly damaged liver with a healthy one. Most often, the new liver will come from a deceased donor, but not always.

Liver transplants are reserved for the critically ill because the demand for available livers far outweighs the supply. Patients may spend many months waiting for a liver. Nationally, about 6,000 liver transplants are performed each year.

Biology & Causes

Liver transplantation is reserved for patients with end-stage irreversible liver failure, and for whom other treatments have proven ineffective. Occasionally, transplantation is also an option for some patients with liver cancer.

When a liver is damaged slowly over time, the condition is known as chronic liver disease. When it occurs rapidly, often in a matter of weeks, it's known as acute liver failure.

The causes of liver failure are many, and include among others:

• End stages of cirrhosis
  Liver cells are replaced by scar tissue, causing a loss of liver function. Often caused by alcoholism and hepatitis B and C.
• Fulminant hepatic failure
  Acute liver failure without any history of liver disease.
• Selected patients with Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
  Interferes with normal liver function
• End stages of Hemochromatosis
  Excess iron accumulation in the body.
• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency affecting the liver
  Incorrect production of A1AT.
• Metabolic disorders
  Any metabolic disorder that leads to liver disease and additional complications.