living donor liver transplant questions

I have hep c and will need a transplant within the next couple of years.  looking into possibility of living donor option, but can't get an answer as to wether the virus will destroy the partial liver as fast as it grows?  Any living donors or recipiants with personal experiance ?  Thank You

[orphanedhawk]

I had a live liver transplant due to hep C, in April 2009, am genotype 2, and currently doing hepC treatment. I've been undetected since week 4.

I understand there are transplant centers currently doing preventive hep C treatment prior to transplantation.

I suggest you post this on the hep C forum.
There is a member named HectorSF who is on the transplant list.
He can give you the information, you're looking for.

BTW: I don't think the living donor part makes a difference either way. However, I personally am very glad to have gone this route.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message.

Good luck,
OH

[glair]

I have had Hep C since 1973 and am now progressed to cirrhosis of the liver. I was placed on the liver transplant waiting list a couple of months ago and am to start the new triple tx some time this month. You can get a transplant without going through treatment before hand but the new liver will eventually become infected and there you are again. My doctor says that the new liver has a half life of the old liver from the time Hep C virus infected it. In my case 1973-2004 = 30 years so the new liver (on average) would be good for about 15 years. The problem is that averages involve some that do better and some that do worse. HectorSF pointed this out to me and I decided to go ahead with the new tx. Now I just hope I am strong enough to go through it. I did treatment in 2003 for 48 weeks and it was very rough on me. At that time I was in much better shape but at least now I'm no longer working so that should make it a bit easier. Good luck to you and God Bless

[glair]

About the living donor part of your question. That is mainly for infants. No one can live without a liver but you can donate a portion of your liver. The donated liver must be close in size to the liver being replaced. So you can see that is why it really only applies to infants who have very small livers that need to be replaced.
Your questions are ones I've asked too. Are you seeing a hepatologist who specializes in Hep C or cirrhosis? If not then you need to get your family doctor to refer you to one.
God Bless,
George

[orphanedhawk]

You are mistaken concerning live livers.
Although the first live liver transplants were on children in some countries they are very common.
I had one.Livers are the only known organ to regenerate.
They gave me 60% of my daughter's liver. Her's was completely regrown within 3 months. Mine took a bit longer.
Amazingly cool.

[eureka254]

Live liver donation and transplantation is available at some Transplant Centers in the US; because the nature of the surgery requires extensive expertise, it is not done at all TP centers, but it has been done successfully -- my husband underwent evaluation for TP at a center that performed cadaver as well as living liver Transplants to adults very successfully (I believe they had a 100% survival rate).

Living liver donation has a very stringent evaluation process in the US; not only does the recipient have to undergo the evaluation process, but in living liver TPs, so does the donor.  The same rules for matching apply to living donors as well as cadaver donors, and then some:  in other words, size, HLA typing, etc. is not all there is with living donors.  They undergo medical, psychological and social evaluation before being accepted as a donor, and both donor and recipient must have caregiver needs provided for before consideration for TP. Some centers require that any donor must initiate the process themselves -- it requires a great deal of commitment on the part of the donor and demonstration of such to the TP to be accepted as a living donor.

I do not have first hand experience post TP, but my limited understanding is that the liver usually regenerates to normal size within 3 months time for both donor and recipient, which is generally considered a faster rate than the progression of fibrosis with return of hep c.  What I can tell you from my experience with my husband's TP center is only relative to the process of listing itself; unfortunately my husband cannot receive a TP as he is beyond Milan Criteria.

Hope that helps some, and best of luck to you.  ~eureka

[Sumry]

My daugher who is 19 yrs require a liver transplant as a result of cirhosis caused by autoimmune hepatitis. myself and my wife are both potential donors and we are about to start testing and evaluation within 2 weeks. I will be very grateful if you could help me by pointing me to any useful information or get in touch with someone who has undergone live donor liver transplant. We just want to learn from their experience on what to expect and how to prepare for this operation.
Thank you all,
Salim
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