Liver transplant

A liver transplant from a living donor is one of the most complex operations in modern transplantology.

When is a transplant required?

Today, liver transplantation is the only method of treating patients with severe liver diseases.

  • Oncological diseases when the tumor is in the liver, and metastases in other organs are not detected;
  • Acute liver failure;
  • Viral hepatitis in severe form.;
  • Hemochromatosis;
  • Late stage cirrhosis of the liver;
  • Wilson-Konovalov disease Cirrhotic form of cystic fibrosis;

Liver transplantation in Turkey. Statistics

Turkey is among the top three countries in the world in the field of kidney and liver transplants from a living donor. Moreover, Turkey ranks second after the United States in the number of liver transplants performed each year. The results of the operations are among the highest in the world – after a liver transplant, the survival rate for a year is 95-98%.

Many medical centers have transplant departments that specialize exclusively in a certain type of organ transplant, performing complex operations every day. In 2018, 4,171 liver and kidney transplants were performed in Turkey, 15% of which were to foreign citizens.

Who can be a liver donor?

According to Turkish law, liver transplants for foreign citizens are carried out only from related donors! This means that they can be relatives up to the 4th degree of kinship. The wife and husband are also relatives.

Conditions of donation

  • age 18+;
  • matching blood groups of the donor and recipient;
  • absence of liver damage and pathologies and good general health.

Important! If the donor is married, the consent of the spouse for the liver transplant is required, which must be certified by a notary.

Preparation for transplantation

First stage – the patient sends the doctor an extract from the medical history, as well as the outpatient card of the potential donor. Then the professors decide on the possibility of a liver transplant. In case of a positive answer, the patient receives consent to the operation in the clinic of his choice. The date of arrival, examination plan, and preliminary date of the operation are jointly agreed upon.

The second stage is hospitalization and examination. The donor and recipient undergo additional medical examination, which confirms the diagnosis and the possibility of liver transplantation. Additional necessary treatment, such as hemodialysis or infusion therapy, for example, also occurs. During this period, tests are carried out for compatibility of the donor liver. The entire period of preparation for transplantation takes up to 7 days.

The transplantation process

Usually, surgeons use the left lobe of the liver for transplantation. The diseased liver is replaced with a part of the healthy liver of the donor. A child under 15 kg requires a transplant of 1⁄4 of the liver, when adults need half of a healthy organ.

Liver transplantation is performed by 2 teams of transplantologists. One takes the liver from the donor, which lasts on average 5-7 hours. The other replaces the removed liver, when part of the organ is literally placed in place of the removed one. Its duration is 9-11 hours. This operation is very complex, as it requires coordinated work in two teams of transplant surgeons, microsurgeons and radiology specialists.

Although the first part of the liver harvesting operation lasts quite a long time, it is not traumatic for the patient. The liver consists of segments, each of which is a fairly independent formation. Therefore, the surgeon separates the liver segment, passing along the borders, thereby avoiding bleeding and bile leakage.

Postoperative period

After the operation, the patient must stay in the hospital for 20 to 30 days. Doctors monitor the process of liver function recovery and the identification of any possible complications. To monitor the process of liver engraftment, the patient may undergo a puncture biopsy.

During the recovery period, the patient undergoes intensive physical and psychological rehabilitation. Over time, doctors reduce outpatient examinations if the risk of infectious complications and the risk of rejection of the transplanted organ decreases.

After discharge, he needs to come for outpatient examinations every week for a month or two, depending on the indications. Therefore, the patient is recommended to stay in Turkey for 3 months after the operation. When the doctor understands that all indicators are normal, he gives permission for the patient to return home. Then remote monitoring via the Internet continues.

Liver transplant prices in Turkey

Today, Turkey ranks among the first places in the world in the treatment of such a complex diagnosis.
The price of a liver transplant in Turkey starts from 70 thousand US dollars. This is significantly lower than prices in other countries. In the USA, the price is 500,000 dollars, in Germany from 200 to 400,000 dollars, in Israel 200-250,000 dollars.

If you are indicated for a bone marrow transplant, contact us. We will help you find the necessary specialists.