LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

A liver transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person. The liver may come from a deceased organ donor or from a living donor, in which an individual donates a portion of his or her liver. Here are some facts:

There are an average of 6,000 liver transplants a year.

There are about 17,000 people waiting for transplants per year at any one time.

Individuals who donate a portion of their liver can live healthy lives with the remaining liver.

Because the liver is the only organ in the body able to regenerate, a transplanted portion of a liver can rebuild to normal capacity within weeks.

72 percent of people who undergo a liver transplant live for at least five years.

78 percent of people who receive a liver from a living donor live for at least five years.

Source: United Network for Organ Sharing, Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic