The Benefits of Living Donor Liver Transplant
The most significant benefit of a living donor liver transplant is that the recipient gets the liver transplant surgery they need. According to the American Liver Foundation, thousands of people die each year while waiting for a donated liver to become available. A living donor liver transplant may also mean the recipient spends less time on the liver transplant list and can have the surgery before their condition deteriorates.
Born with biliary atresia, baby Kara Pace needed a liver transplant. Due to liver transplant wait times and Kara's variable health the family chose to pursue living liver donation. Darla Harvey, a member of their church, applied online. After going through testing at Duke she learned she was a match. Watch this video to see the differenve a living liver donation can make.
Should You Become a Living Liver Donor?
The life-sustaining gift of living liver donation is an intensely personal, physical, and emotional journey. Our liver transplant team includes liver specialists, liver transplant surgeons, social workers, and transplant coordinators. We are dedicated to helping you fully understand the procedure and make the decision that’s right for you.
Extensive Risks-and-Benefits Education
If you are considering becoming a living donor, Duke’s liver transplant surgery team will provide you with extensive education about the risks and benefits before you make your decision.
Dedicated Transplant Coordinator
The transplant coordinator helps you plan your visit, answers any questions you may have, and -- should you choose to donate -- facilitates your personalized guidance through the process of donation, recovery, and follow-up. Medical staff is on call 24/7 for any needs that may arise.
The Living Liver Donation Process
Extensive Evaluation
A comprehensive physical and psychological evaluation process will determine whether you can undergo the surgery with no ill effects, physical or otherwise. We select only liver donors we are confident can return to their normal lives after surgery.
The Liver Donation Procedure
During surgery, the doctor removes a portion of your healthy liver, along with its associated blood vessels and bile ducts, through an abdominal incision.
Living liver donors typically spend about a week in the hospital and are on a strict lifting restriction for several weeks afterward. The type of work you do will determine when you can safely return to work. This will be discussed in detail with the coordinator and surgeon during your evaluation.
Can the Liver Grow Back?
You can expect the remainder of your liver to grow back to its full, pre-donation volume by about three months after surgery.
Follow-Up Medical Care
Follow-up appointments with the transplant team are scheduled for one to two weeks after surgery and again at three months, six months, one year, and two years. You can return to Duke to see a member of our team, or your primary care doctor can collect follow-up blood samples and record vital signs like your weight and blood pressure.
