Liver Transplant Myths

Liver refers to the largest internal organ in the human body. It is situated on the right side, in the upper right – hand side, in the abdominal cavity. The liver functions as a filter for the blood received from the digestive tract. The same filtered blood is passed to the remaining parts of the body. Additional functions of the liver involve releasing proteins essential for the process of digestion, as well as aiding in blood clotting. Hence, damage to the liver must be treated with utmost importance. The Liver transplant cost in Delhi NCR is quite reasonable.

What causes damage to the liver?

Some additive habits like regular alcohol consumption cause damage to the liver. Taking some medicines with an empty stomach also causes harm.

Some symptoms of damage to a healthy liver include weakness, nausea, weight loss, and/ or regular vomiting. Other symptoms may also include –

• Dizziness and tiredness, throughout the day
• Reduction in immunity due to lowering of platelet count in the body
• Feeling like wanting to puke, throughout the day
• Swelling of body parts, known as edema
• Regular occurrence of jaundice
• Bruising as lowering of platelet count reduces blood clotting
• Swelling of the spleen
• Suffering from frequent stomach aches
• Diarrhoea
• Loss of appetite

These are some of the symptoms of diseases like Alcoholic Hepatitis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis C, Liver Cirrhosis, Hemochromatosis, and Non – alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases. The same may lead to failure of the liver to work indefinitely, and hence cause a need for its replacement by transplant.

Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation is the term used for replacement of a liver which has lost functionality due to a disease, with another healthy liver. The process can either be carried out by an orthotopic transplantation, in which a complete new and healthy liver is used to replace the old one, or transplanting part liver, as much as is required.

Myths and Facts About Liver Transplant

1. MYTH – Receiving a liver from a person who is alive, is better than receiving the liver of a deceased person.

FACT – This isn’t true at all. There are a number of cases, wherein, a living person (mostly a family member) donates part of his/ her liver, subject to suitability for transplant. In case of a deceased individual, the liver is extracted from the body within stipulated time and before transplant, the same is pre-examined by the doctors. Hence, in both cases, the liver transplant carries the same levels of risk.

2. MYTH – Transplant is a complete cure.

FACT – Transplantation is always a risky procedure. It is subject to acceptance or rejection by the receiver’s body. There are a number of cases wherein immune rejection may take place. Hence, immunosuppressants are prescribed to the patients. In the year 1963, the first liver transplant was carried out in Canada. Yet, the first successful transplant was done in the year 1970. One must take good care after the transplant surgery. All precautions and advice given by the doctor must be followed carefully.

3. MYTH – Rich people are given a preference for donation, over the poor people.

FACT – Rich people getting a preference for donation, over the financially poor people, is just a myth. Whenever a request for an organ is registered, the judgement is made on the basis of the disease and the urgency in the requirement of the organ transplant as well as other aspects of prime importance, instead of the financial background of the individual who requires transplant.

5. MYTH – The cases, wherein there is a failure of a liver transplant are the ones when the doctor already knew of the same but carried out the procedure to extract money.

FACT – There is already a shortage of organs in the country, while the number of potential receivers is increasing with each passing day. Doctors understand the severity of the situation. If any doctor suggests a liver transplant, it is when he/ she believes that there are chances of saving a life by taking the risk of a transplant.

6. MYTH – I am not permitted to donate organs, by my religion.

FACT – By registering as an organ donor, you are registering to save lives, which is a honorable cause, indeed. None of the holy books say that we must not save lives, instead, they state it as a noble deed.

7. MYTH – I might not get a healthy liver.

FACT – Only healthy organs are used for transplantation. A screening of the donated organ is carried out before the surgery and a diseased organ is never used for the procedure.