LIVER TRANSPLANT
According to figures from 2021, over 100,000+ people are waiting for a kidney transplant. Kidneys were the organ with the most patients standing for transplants all around world, followed by livers. The world’s success rate with a living-donor kidney was estimated to be 98 percent after a year and 89 percent after five years. At one year, the success rate of a deceased-donor kidney was 95%, and at five years, it was 80%. One of the most popular organ transplant surgeries performed today is a kidney transplant.
There have been over 60 different liver diseases treated with liver transplantation. However, there are several
conditions that are more commonly treated with this procedure.
INDICATIONS FOR LIVER TRANSPLANT INCLUDE:
1. Hepatitis B
2. Hepatitis C
3. Alcohol
4. Liver tumors/ Hepatocellular Carcinoma
5. Autoimmune Hepatitis
6. Acute liver failure / fulminant liver failure
7. Errors in Metabolism
8. NASH
9. Cryptogenic
BASIS OF A LIVER TRANSPLANT:
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs positioned directly below the rib cage on each side of the spine. Each one is approximately the size of a fist. Urine is their primary function, which involves cleaning and removing waste, chemicals, and fluid from the body. They also support in the fluid and electrolyte balance of your body. Waste builds up in your body if your kidneys fail to work, which can make you very sick.
When your kidneys lose their filtering ability, dangerous levels of fluid and waste gather in your body, rising blood pressure and finally leading to renal failure (end-stage kidney disease). Dialysis is a treatment that helps people whose kidneys have failed.
A kidney transplant, also known as a renal transplant, is a treatment that involves the replacement of one or more kidneys. A kidney transplant is a surgical operation in which a healthy kidney from a living or deceased donor is transplanted into a person whose kidneys are failing. The procedure of a kidney transplant is used to treat renal failure.
When your blood starts to flow through your new kidney, it will most likely begin producing urine. Many young people who receive kidney transplants go on to enjoy normal, healthy lives after surgery.
Because humans can live with only one kidney, a healthy kidney can be donated to a person who is suffering from renal failure (this is called being a donor). A kidney can also be obtained from a recently deceased donor, albeit this sort of donation can take up to a year. Or A living person you don’t know—a relative, spouse, or friend—could donate a kidney to you.
DONOR PROBLEM
People who donate a kidney, on the other hand, live longer than the average person, according to studies. Eighty-five percent of kidney donors lived another forty-five years after their donation. Patients who have received a successful kidney transplant live longer than those who are on dialysis.
To be eligible for a kidney transplant, patients must meet the following criteria: Have life expectancy of 5 years •
Tolerate the transplant, you must have a good nutritional condition and be in good physical shape. Have reliable, consistent caregivers.
Good physical and mental health should be 18 years or older
must also have normal kidney function.
Blood type test. This makes sure your blood type and the recipient’s blood type are a good match.
Crossmatch test. Doctors mix a sample of your blood with a sample of the recipient’s to see how they react. …
HLA typing.
The most common donors are a brother, sister, father, mother, son, or daughter, however other distant relatives and friends can also be donated. Kidney patients must ask relatives or friends whether they are willing to donate a kidney.
Our organization’s success in resolving this issue has benefited a large number of patients. We’ve set up a platform to help patients who are in the process of selecting a donor. After reviewing the patient’s condition, our team of doctors decides in a committee what would be the best option for patient in terms of selecting a donor. You will receive free donor selection counselling from a team of doctors.
Medical treatment for liver diseases and liver damage is always the first choice of therapy. The only reason to perform a liver transplant is that all other form of treatments have been unsuccessful, and the patient’s liver can no longer support life. This is called End Stage Liver Disease. Patients with one or more of the following problems should contact Pak Health Care to seek expert advice regarding liver disease. You can contact by dialing 0304-1115551 or by sending your patient’s reports via email at [email protected] where our specialist doctor’s team will suggest if liver transplant is appropriate.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS FOR LIVER TRANSPLANT
Weight Loss
Muscle Wasting
Increasing water in abdomen / Ascites in spite of taking diuretic medicines
Repeated attacks of blood in the vomit or stool / Hematemesis
Attacks of excessive drowsiness, mental confusion or coma / Encephalopathy
Increase in Bilirubin Level / Excessive Jaundice
Low serum Albumin
Prolonged Prothrombin Time (INR)
Infection in the ascites (Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis or SBP)
Cancer / Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Acute liver failure which is not improving with medicines (characterized by worsening coma, jaundice, deranged Prothrombin time (PT), liver tests (SGOT / SGPT / Alkaline phosphatase, GGT) and kidney function and falling blood glucose levels)
WHERE DOES THE LIVER COME FROM?
There are two sources of the donor liver.
i) CADAVER LIVER :
This liver is provided by voluntary donation by the family of a person who is brain dead in an ICU of a hospital. Brain death can occur in a person due to fatal head injury from an accident or severe brain hemorrhage or irreversible brain damage from other reasons. His/her other organs can be kept intact by life support systems for a few days. If the family of such a person agrees, organs such as the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, pancreas and corneas can be removed upon discontinuance of life support systems and can be used to save lives of many critically ill patients on the transplant list.
ii) PORTION OF LIVER FROM A LIVING PERSON / LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANT (LDLT) :
Living donor liver transplantation is a recent concept in which a living person can donate a part of his/her liver to save the life of an individual dying from liver failure. The amount of liver removed from the donor depends on the weight of the recipient – heavier the recipient, larger the portion of liver required. However, the liver has a lot of reserve whereby only 20-30% of normal liver is enough to sustain life. To ensure donor safety, liver surgeons always leave behind at least 30% liver in the donor. The liver also has a unique capacity to regenerate whereby it regains its full size in both the donor and the recipient within 6-8 weeks.
FUNCTIONS OF NORMAL LIVER
Liver is known as the ‘’largest’’ organ present in the human body. Liver is one of the very vital organs without which, the body is not able to function properly or in a normal manner. Liver does a number of different functions and activities which are extremely essential to the human body. Liver is known to secrete bile. Absorption of nutrients and etc also occurs in the liver hence liver also plays its role in digestion. Liver also detoxifies the harmful chemicals.
WHAT IS LIVER CANCER
Liver cancer is referred to as a condition, when the normal cells of the liver, do not remain normal but start behaving and dividing abnormally. Most common type of cancer is Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC).
LIVER CANCER CAUSES
Chronic HBV or HCV.
Cirrhosis
Excessive alcohol consumption
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH)
Primary biliary cirrhosis
hemochromatosis
Wilson’s disease
Type 2 Diabetes
Exposure to aflatoxins (Aflatoxins are poisons produced by molds that grow on crops that are stored poorly)
LIVER CANCER STAGES
Stage Details
1 Liver Tumor less than 2cm only within liver
2 Liver Tumor with portal or hepatic vein thrombosed
3 Liver Tumor with portal or hepatic vein thrombosed
4 Liver Tumor spread to distant organs eg lungs, bones
LIVER CANCER IN PAKISTAN
In Pakistan, the condition is getting worse and worse. The percentages of the effected patients are increasing dangerously. Statistically, in 1990 to the present year, the percentage has increased by 31.5 percent. Hence, no treatment and increasing rates of liver cancer together make up a very deadly and dangerous combination. A huge number of people die with the cancer early, because lack of knowledge about liver cancer treatment in Pakistan. Hence, awareness and exposure holds great importance.
LIVER CANCER PREVENTION
Normal person must have yearly checkup and keep a check on his diet. Patient having liver disease like Chronic Hepatitis B, C or cirrhosis should have quarterly checkups. Quarterly checkups help you diagnose what is wrong at a very early stage.
TREATMENT OPTIONS
There are many options depend upon Liver Cancer stage. You should visit at Pak Health Care to meet our doctors for best treatment plan for your patient.
Liver Resection
TACE
Liver Transplant
Oral Chemotherapy
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
Percutaneous ethanol injection
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)
LIVER CANCER TREATMENT
If you are, someone who is suffering from liver cancer and looking for some liver cancer specialist in Lahore Pakistan, need not to worry because Pak Health Care center accompanying the most experienced doctors and the super friendly staff, they are here to make sure that you are in the best of your health.
For liver cancer treatment in Lahore Pakistan at Pak Health Care our experienced doctors give all their time to the patients to not only help them strengthen their bodies but also make them mentally strong.
Pak Health Care has friendly relations with the most experienced and qualified doctors of Iran, Turkey and India, which keep visiting Pak Health Care on and off, and examine the patients personally as well.