The liver is the second most common transplanted organ in the world. Up until five years, the most common liver disease that required a liver transplant was Hepatitis C. A liver transplant is a surgical process that removes a damaged liver that no longer functions properly. It is replaced with a healthy liver that comes either from a healthy living individual or a deceased donor. Certainly, a few risks and complications come with a liver transplant, including rejections of the transplanted liver. Therefore, it is considered as a new chance at life.
Why Liver Transplant Considered as A New Chance at Life
Many doctors believe that a liver transplant is the second phase of life. The reason is that some patients are at the top of the waiting list for getting liver transplants. Others are acutely ill and can die within a week or day without a transplant. However, many medical centers have dedicated intensive care unit staff to help patients survive those critical days.
Also, there are a group of patients who have a liver disease like tumors or other complications. But they are not at the risk of dying within months. For these patients, a liver transplant lets them live a normal life. After the transplant, the patients can start work again and have increased energy levels. The transplant will last for more than 30 years or even more. However, it largely depends on patient conditions. Certainly, post-operation, surgery, and recovery phases are all critical phases of a liver patient’s life. Fortunately, you can find many best hospitals for the best liver plant in India. So, before we talk about the cost of liver transplants in India, let’s talk about other details.
Recovery, Risks, and Life Expectancy After a Liver Transplant
A liver transplant is a complex process. It includes several phases that may or may not be beneficial for the patient. Before you decide to go for a liver transplant in Turkey or India, it is vital to know about the aspects like recovery, risks, and life expectancy after the procedure.
Recovery
After a liver transplant, patients usually take around six to 12 months to get back to normal activities. They will have various appointments with the medical care team for the first year. Medical needs after a transplant include taking anti-rejection medication lifelong, no alcohol, and no smoking. Plus, it is vital to keep up with all medical appointments. If a patient does not follow medical appointments, the results could be fatal and serious.
Risks
Rejection occurs when the immune system is not ready to accept the new organ. Although it doesn’t cause any symptoms, still one should execute periodic tests and biopsies of the new liver. Mostly liver rejection happens immediately after the transplant. However, it is treatable. In a few patients, rejections may result in liver transplant failure, and the patient may require another transplant. It may also damage the organ, and the patient would have hepatitis C. But there are some effective drugs as well that clear the infection. When it comes to risks, a patient who receives a transplant is more likely to have cancer in some cases.
Life expectancy
The life expectancy after a liver transplant depends on different factors. These include age, co-morbidities, the reason for transplant, and response to specific drugs. On average, a person undergoing a liver transplant lives for more than ten years. However, many can live up to 20 years or more. People who get a liver from a healthy, living donor have better short-term survival rates than those who received from a deceased donor. But if you talk about long-term outcomes, people who get liver from a living donor have a shorter wait for a transplant.
Liver Transplant in India
In India, liver treatment for end-stage liver disease has been accepted over the last ten years. Liver transplant in India has many unique features contributing to the growth of the donor. Living donors contribute around 80%, and deceased donors contribute 20% of the liver transplant in the country. The majority of these transplants are done in private hospitals than in public hospitals. Lyfboat is an online destination that helps you find the best hospital and medical facilities for a liver transplant in Turkey and India. To know more about the hospitals, type of treatments, doctors, and treatment costs, get a free consultation now!