Live Donor Liver Transplant

My mother, who was a relatively health 52 year old woman until about a month ago, was hospitalized last week due to increase in her liver enymes and jaundice.  After undergoing a liver biopsy, the doctors have told us she has cryptogenic cirrhosis and will need a liver transplant.  They are going to begin tests tomorrow to make sure she is eligible for a transplant.  We are all pretty much in shock, and haven't really recieved a lot of answers from her doctor yet.  My question at this point is about living donor liver transplant.  She said that the doctor told her she was too sick for a live donor transplant and would need to recieve a full liver and not a portion.  I have been researching transplants for days, and no where have I seen any information as to what the criteria is for a person to recieve a live donor liver.  I can't find anything that says a person can be too sick for this.  Isn't 2/3 of a good liver better than 100% of a bad one?  Any insight you could provide would be helpful.

Also, my mother has Type O- blood type.  Will this make it more difficult for her to find a donor, will it increase the time she will have to wait for a donor?

Thank you.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

in NY live donor transplant are not perfomed if recipients have MELD scores of greater than 25.  If one is sick they need as close to 100% liver parenchyma as possible. Getiing 100% of a liver that is not good is not a great option either. Waiting lists for O blood type are longer than for other blood types.  A lot depends on what part of the country that you live in as patients can get transplanted with lower MELD scores in certain parts of the country such as the south and mid-west.

[Harris6115]

Thank you.  I don't know what her MELD score is, I guess I will ask that question when we finally get to talk to her doctor.

I was afraid you were going to say that about O blood types.  

We live in central Massachusetts.

[riqyboy]

hey harris, I received my liver april 11th 2010. I am also a o positive blood type. what Dr Schiano said rings true in my case. I was living in new york state, (near syracuse) I went to rochester to apply to be on the transplant waiting list. my meld score was 17. I was told that my score was to low to be considered and that i still had 7-8 years of time left before consideration. i also asked quetions about a live donor transplant. looking back at it now and considering your moms condition, a cadaver liver is just as good. The surgeons aren't going to stick any old liver that comes around with an o pos stamp on it in your mother. tests will be done to determine that they have the best possible one for you mom that they can get before proceeding with surgery. Anywhoo the other part that rings true is, I moved to Indiana went thru with all the testing ( about a year) was put on the waiting list and received a liver one month after being placed on the list. It was the best decision I ever made.( moving here ) I don't know if you have facebook but here is a site to check out    http://www.facebook.com/#!/clariantransplant?ref=ts
good luck with your mom and remember it's a long road to getting a transplant and a long road recovering.

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

i agree with everthing stated above

[Harris6115]

We met with her doctor tonight.  Her MELD score is currently 33.  So, a live donor transplant is not an option, neither is moving to another geographic location.  

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

MELD 33 is hopefully high enough for her to get a deceased donor.  good luck.

[Harris6115]

I hope so!