how do you donate a liver

What are the criteria for donating a liver?

May 31, 2017 · A living liver donation surgery involves removing part of a person’s healthy liver — as much as 60 percent — and using this partial liver to replace the recipient’s diseased liver. In the weeks to come, both the donor and recipient sections will grow to the size of normal livers.

What happens if you donate a part of Your Liver?

In living liver donor surgery, the donor and the recipient are placed in side-by-side operating rooms. A surgeon removes a part of the donor’s liver, typically the right half. This donated segment of the liver is then immediately placed in the recipient in the next operating room.

What are the risks of donating a liver?

Who Can Donate a Liver? You Must Want to Do It. You're the only one who can decide to donate part of your liver. It's illegal for anyone to force you to do it. It's also ... You're a Family Member or Friend. You're in the Right Age Group. Your Blood Type Is …

Can you donate a liver and still live?

AdWe’re briefly explaining how it is performed and which patients need this type of surgery. This article will explore everything you need to know about this type of surgery

Does donating part of your liver shorten your life?

As much as a person without liver transplant meaning the general population. Now you know that living liver donation has no impact on how long and healthy you will live.

What happens if you donate a piece of your liver?

After donating part of your liver, your liver will regrow and work normally again within just a few months. Most people who need a liver transplant spend months or years waiting for an organ donation from a deceased donor.

Can you donate a liver and stay alive?

Living Donor Liver Transplant A small percentage of liver transplants are completed each year using a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. Living donation is possible because the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself.

What does it take to be a liver donor?

Donors must have a compatible blood type and liver anatomy that is suitable for donation. Potential liver donors must not have any serious medical conditions, such as liver disease, diabetes, heart disease or cancer. To become a live liver donor, you must: Be a willing adult between age 18 and 60.

Can a woman donate a liver to a man?

Overall, data collected from transplants performed around the world showed that gender didn't seem to matter. But when the authors isolated the data from North America, they found female-donated livers that were transplanted into male patients were less likely to succeed than male-donated livers.Nov 6, 2002

What disqualifies you from a liver transplant?

acute rejection. the return of liver disease. cancer. medical complications, such as high blood pressure, infection, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Can you give someone half of your liver?

A living liver donation surgery involves removing part of a person's healthy liver — as much as 60 percent — and using this partial liver to replace the recipient's diseased liver. In the weeks to come, both the donor and recipient sections will grow to the size of normal livers.May 31, 2017

Can you drink after donating liver?

Lifestyle Changes. In preparation for liver donation, you may need to make some modifications to your lifestyle. These changes include avoiding recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol. You cannot drink alcohol for a full year after surgery to allow your liver to recover.

Can I donate part of my liver to my dad?

Do You Meet the Requirements for Donating a Liver? Any member of the family, parent, sibling, child, spouse or a friend can donate their liver. Generally, liver donors must: Be at least 18 years old.

Does insurance cover liver donation?

Liver living transplant – Living liver donation is covered by most private insurers for the evaluation and donation stay. Coverage after the donation may vary with insurance companies.

How long is liver donation surgery?

Liver transplants usually take six to 12 hours. During the operation, surgeons will remove your liver and replace it with the donor liver. Because a transplant operation is a major procedure, surgeons will need to place several tubes in your body.Mar 30, 2021

What is the age limit for liver transplant?

Liver transplantation from donors aged 80 years and over: pushing the limit. In the current context of organ shortage, the issue is not whether older donors should be used, rather how to use them and in which recipients.Dec 18, 2018

Living Liver Donation Overview

Jessica (left) is a living liver donor, mom, and ATF 1+1=LIFE Mentor – pictured with David Crosby and her father (liver recipient.)

Surgery

In living liver donor surgery, the donor and the recipient are placed in side-by-side operating rooms. A surgeon removes a part of the donor’s liver, typically the right half. This donated segment of the liver is then immediately placed in the recipient in the next operating room.

Additional Resources

Click here to learn more about becoming a peer Mentor like Janet or to receive one-on-one support from a peer Mentor.

You Must Want to Do It

You're the only one who can decide to donate part of your liver. It's illegal for anyone to force you to do it. It's also against the law to sell organs.

You're a Family Member or Friend

If you're a blood relative, it's more likely that your blood type will be a good match for the person getting part of your liver. Some transplant centers, though, let you donate part of your liver to someone you don't know who's on the organ transplant waiting list.

You're in the Right Age Group

Most transplant centers want you to be between 18 and 60 years old, although the exact age range varies. The reason is that older donors tend to have more complications than younger ones. Transplant centers also consider children and teens to be too young to give the proper consent.

Your Blood Type Is a Good Match

You don't have to have the exact blood type as the person who needs a new liver, but you need to be what's called "compatible." This can be figured out with a simple blood test. Here's how it works:

You're in Better-Than-Good Physical Health

If you want to be a donor, your liver, kidneys, and thyroid need to be working right. Transplant centers also want to know that you don't have medical problems like these:

You Must Be Mentally Healthy

You'll need to get checked by a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker to make sure you don't have mental health issues, such as anxiety, that might affect your own recovery. They will ask you about behavior that puts you at high risk for infectious diseases.

You Can't Smoke

Quitting tobacco 1-2 months before surgery can help lower the odds of complications. Quitting smoking even right before surgery can increase the amount of oxygen in your body. After 24 hours without smoking, nicotine and carbon monoxide are already gradually broken down in the blood. Your lungs start to work better after about 2 smoke-free months.