Living Liver Transplant?

[herdaughter]

Has anyone heard of this? I didn't think it was possible, to get part of a liver from a living person?
My sister is considering this seen as she is in good health, for my mother
Any thoughts or advice towards this?

[jdwithhcv]

What a wonderful girt.  Perhaps you should post this on the Transplant Forum, too.  People on that board are knowledgable on this subject.

Good luck to your mother and sister.

jd

[jdwithhcv]

I meant wonderful gift - sorry, typing impairment shows up sometimes.

[Mr Liver]

The liver has two major lobes, and one is removed and transplanted. Both lobes will grow back to full size and weight of a normal liver within a couple of months. Living donor transplants ( LDT ) have a very good success rate. One big advantage is the patient does not have to deteriorate to a near death stat in order to receive a lifesaving transplant. A healthier patient going into major surgery can and does result in better post-op successes. Cadaveric livers are matched to recipients based on blood type. In this case with the donor being related, a closeness in genetic profile may give them an even bigger edge to the already high success rates. Best of luck to your mom and family.
ML

[Grace724]

You seem to understand a bit of knowledge about living donor transplants. My husband has HepC and used to drink. He has been sober 6 months. He had a liver biopsy last month and was told he is Stage4, Grade 1.

One of our sons has expressed a desire to donate part of his liver to his dad. I've read about the dangers to him (my son) and while I'm not comfortable with putting my at risk, we'd like to discuss this with someone who can gives us some direction.

Should we talk to my husbands gastro doc? Should we contact a transplant center on our own? All of us would like to avoid my husband having to be in really bad shape in order to be placed on the transplant list.

Any direction you can give me on who to talk to about this would be appreciated.

~Grace

[eureka254]

My husband is also Stage 4 cirrhosis (previously complicated by hepatoma) and being surveilled regularly as a possible candidate for transplant in the near future, so, like yourselves, I've also started investigating the possibility of living donor transplant (LDT).  What I've learned so far is that though there are many transplant centers across the country, only a handful of them have the capability to perform LDT.  I believe in the last ten years, there have been about three to four hundred LDTs performed in the United States.  

You might find some helpful information in the below article I posted recently:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/581435

I'm actually just starting to investigate for myself the guidelines of how to be evaluated as a potential donor, and we have a meeting next week with with my husband's hep doc discuss that possibility.  I'll try to remember to keep you posted as I go through the process...

Grace724:
I remember some of your previous posts, and I'm so pleased to hear that your husband has been sober for 6 months!  

Best of luck to you both,
~eureka

  

[foofighter]

Link to Mayo Clinic information on living donor transplants. Page also has a good patient story...grandaughter who donated part of her liver to her grandpa.

http://tinyurl.com/6cgzzx

[Mr Liver]

Hi Grace,

I would contact the transplant center closest to you for guidance. This would be the easiest and fastest way to get the information you want. They may refer you to another center if they do not perform that surgery there. There are different hierarchies at different centers, but I would suggest starting off by asking for the transplant coordinator.

LDT surgeries are occurring with greater frequency than ever before, partly due to ins. co's. relaxing their definition of 'experimental' . As you noted, there is some risk for the donor. It is, after all, major surgery for both. The success rates and improved outcomes certainly make LDT an attractive alternative. I wish your husband,you and family the best.
ML