Liver Transplant Surgery

Department of Liver Transplant at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre

The Department of Liver Transplant at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate care to all patients in need of liver transplant surgery. 

The team of experienced surgeons, hepatologists, anaesthesiologists, and nurses at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre work collaboratively to deliver comprehensive care throughout the transplant process, from evaluation to postoperative follow-up.

The department offers a wide range of services, including pre-transplant evaluation and assessment, surgical procedures, and post-transplant care. 

The Department of Liver Transplant at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre undertakes a wide array of liver transplant surgeries, including living donor liver transplants, deceased or cadaver donor liver transplants, split liver transplants and auxiliary liver transplants amongst others. 

The department also facilitates daily group counselling sessions for the patient, donors and their families with the post-op coordinators, physiotherapists and nutritionists to make the recovery process smooth. 

The department uses the latest surgical techniques and technology to ensure optimal outcomes for the patients. With state-of-the-art infrastructure and the best surgeons, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre provides the most advanced and comprehensive transplant care in India. 

The Department of Liver Transplant at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre has achieved excellent outcomes in liver transplant surgery, with survival rates that exceed national averages. The department is committed to ongoing quality improvement and, therefore, always participates in research and clinical trials to advance the field of liver transplantation.

The department is committed to the time, effort, and resources required to make your transplant a success. The definition of success at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre extends far beyond the operating room. 

At Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, we believe a liver transplant is a lifelong commitment for both you and us. Therefore, we stay involved with you and your family throughout the entire transplant process. We understand that living with a transplant will affect your lifestyle in many ways, and we are ready to prepare you accordingly. We will help you maintain and resume many of your activities and even become involved in new ones. 

Who Needs a Liver Transplant?

According to international guidelines, any patient suffering from liver cirrhosis who is assessed to have a life expectancy of less than a year should be considered for a transplant. The severity of the liver disease is graded from A to C. Usually, all grade C and most grade B patients are candidates for transplant. 

A timely transplant is key to a successful surgery. A timely transplant done on a patient who is in a reasonable condition, with a good donor liver has around an 80% chance of success. 

Pre-Transplant Evaluation (Liver Transplant Assessment)

The liver specialist usually suggests this evaluation once the patient has been diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. Recipient evaluation is done in three phases and normally takes 5-7 days in the hospital. 

After evaluation, the patient is either placed on the waiting list for cadaveric donation or, if there is a willing and blood group-matched family donor available, he/she is evaluated for donation, and a transplant is scheduled. 

If the patient's condition shows signs of deteriorating, we normally suggest the family consider a living liver donation. 

Getting Admitted to the Hospital for a Transplant

Living donor transplants are planned in advance. Patients and donors are both admitted to the hospital a day prior to surgery. Deceased donor transplants are however performed on an emergency basis when a cadaveric liver is available, and patients are called to the hospital urgently. 

The Operation

The timings of donor and recipient surgeries are synchronised to ensure minimal ischemia (storage damage) to the liver. 

In deceased donor transplants, patients' surgery begins only after the donor's liver has been examined and found satisfactory. 

The living donor operation may be done using different types of incisions or even with laparoscopy (keyhole) or robotic surgery. 

Both donors and recipients undergo the operation under general anaesthesia, where they are put to sleep with no consciousness, pain, awareness or recollection of the operation. 

At the end of the surgery, the donor is taken off the ventilator and shifted to the ICU for overnight observation. The recipient is generally shifted to the ICU on a ventilator