Donor organs must match BLOOD TYPEand, for
OLT, body size. With HLT body size is less impor-
tant because the surgeon can select a liver seg-
ment of the appropriate size. The surgery to
transplant a liver takes between 4 and 12 hours in
most circumstances. Recovery includes up to three
weeks of hospitalization and several months for
full recuperation. Most people are able to return
to regular activities including exercise, work, sex-
ual activity, and eating habits.
The risks of liver transplantation include bleed-
ing, INFECTION, and rejection of the donor liver.
Rejection may occur within days of the transplant
or at any time after recovery, though IMMUNOSUP-
PRESSIVE MEDICATIONSreduce the likelihood. Symp-
toms of rejection include JAUNDICE, NAUSEA, FEVER,
and PAIN. These symptoms require immediate
medical attention to salvage the transplant.CONDITIONS FOR WHICH
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IS AN OPTION
acute (fulminant) LIVER FAILURE AMYLOIDOSIS
autoimmune HEPATITIS BILIARY ATRESIA
chronic liver failure CIRRHOSIS
glycogen storage disease HEMOCHROMATOSIS
hepatitis B/hepatitis C hepatotoxic liver failure
LIVER DISEASE OF ALCOHOLISM noncancerous LIVERtumors
PRIMARY BILIARY SCLEROSIS PRIMARY SCLEROSING
WILSON’S DISEASE CHOLANGITISSee also ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION; SURGERY BENEFIT
AND RISK ASSESSMENT.76 The Gastrointestinal System