About Liver Transplant Surgery
When a donor liver that seems to match a patient's
needs becomes available, the transplant team contacts
the patient on the waiting list. Before the transplant
takes place, the transplant surgeon removes the
liver from the donor. During this procedure, the
surgeon evaluates the organ to determine whether
or not it's appropriate for the recipient.
The average liver transplant surgery takes between
four and eight hours, although it may take longer
if the patient has had previous abdominal surgery.
The incision is in the shape of an inverted "Y".
The transplant involves placing the patient on
a blood bypass circuit, removing the entire liver
and sewing the new liver in place. Blood and plasma
transfusions are frequently, but not always, necessary.
Penn has an extremely low mean average for transfusions
compared to all other centers.
After surgery, you will go to the surgical intensive
care unit (ICU). You will be attached to the breathing
machine that was required during your operation.
Once you are able to breathe on your own, the
tube will be removed. Your heart and respiration
will be monitored by special equipment. You will
have several tubes in your abdomen, so that the
fluids can drain but they are removed after several
days.
Recovery time varies for each patient, depending
on how sick the patient was prior to transplantation
and the complexity of the surgery. The average
hospital stay at the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania after an uncomplicated liver transplant
is 6-8 days with a one-day stay in ICU. During
this time, the patient undergoes physical therapy
and routine postoperative tests and learns more
about medications
to help prevent rejection and infections.
Revised by Kim
Olthoff, MD
Last updated February 2006
|
