A liver transplant is a major surgical procedure that is undertaken to replace a diseased liver with a healthy one. Depending on the particular situation of the patient, either a whole liver may be transplanted, or just part of one. In the majority of the cases, a whole healthy liver is transplanted, which comes from an organ donor who has died recently. In certain cases, a healthy living person may also donate part of their liver. Typically, the living donors are a family member of the patient, or a friend whose blood type is a good match.

The liver is the only organ in the body that can replace lost or injured tissue. Hence, people donating a part of their liver would be assured that it will grow back to its normal size in some time, and they can lead a healthy life. The part of the liver received by the patients shall also grow to normal size in a few weeks. As this surgery is an extremely severe one, patients should try their best to consult the best liver transplant surgeon in India in case they have to undergo this procedure. This surgery is ideally recommended if a person has end-stage liver disease (chronic liver failure), which is a serious, life-threatening liver disease.

A transplant might be needed as an end-stage alcoholic fatty liver treatment as well. Cirrhosis is the most common cause of end-stage liver disease. It is a chronic liver disease that takes place when healthy liver tissues are replaced with scar tissue, subsequently preventing the organ from working properly.

Here are some of the other conditions for which one may need to undergo a liver transplant surgery:

  • Acute hepatic necrosis: This condition takes place when tissue in the liver dies. There are several factors that can lead to this condition, including acute infections and reactions to medicine, drugs, or toxins.
  • Biliary atresia: This is a rare disease associated with the liver and bile ducts that occurs in newborns.
  • Viral hepatitis: People suffering from Hepatitis B or C may have to deal with this condition.
  • Metabolic diseases:  This refers to disorders that change the chemical activity in cells impacted by the liver.
  • Primary liver cancers: These are cancerous tumors that start in the liver.

People required to undergo liver transplant surgery in India should ideally carefully research the leading hospitals where this surgery is performed, and visit any one of them for their treatment.