When you arrive at Duke University Hospital, you and your caregivers will meet with members of your transplant team, including your surgeon and anesthesiologist. A chest X-ray, EKG, a urine test, and blood tests will be done, and you will be prepared for surgery.
Before a liver is accepted for a transplant, it is thoroughly evaluated. Donor livers must be free of damage and disease. There are times when the organ is not healthy or is otherwise not a good fit, and the transplant has to be canceled. This is known as a “dry run.” If this happens to you, we will continue to care for you and prepare you for transplant surgery in the future. Our goal is to give you a liver that will last a lifetime.