During the Transplant

Liver

Arriving at the Hospital

The process of being admitted and preparing for transplant surgery can vary greatly. Talk to your physician about how your transplant hospital will handle this phase of the process.

The Procedure

There are two very different surgical approaches to liver transplantation: the orthotopic and the heterotopic approach, both of which can take up to ten hours to complete. Because the length of this surgery is different for every patient, families should talk with the surgeon about what to expect.

• Orthotopic Approach. The orthotopic approach requires replacing the recipient liver with the donor liver. After the donor liver is removed, preserved and packed for transport, it must be transplanted into the recipient within 12 to 18 hours. The surgery begins by removing the diseased liver from the four main blood vessels and other structures that hold it in place in the abdomen. After the recipient's liver is removed, the new healthy donor liver is then connected and blood flow is restored. The final connection is made to the bile duct, a small tube that carries bile made in the liver to the intestines.
• Heterotopic Approach. In heterotopic liver transplantation, the recipient's liver is left in place and a donor liver is sewn into an ectopic site. Your physician can explain why this approach may better suit your needs.

During Recovery

Postoperative care begins with a team of heath professionals within the hospital. Careful, comprehensive post-surgical monitoring constantly evaluates whether the body is accepting the new organ. In addition, the amount of time you spend in the recovery room, waking up and getting to the point that you're ready to go home, will vary from patient to patient. Because individual experience after recovery is so unique, it is important to discuss with your physician what to expect after surgery.

Reference and Publication Information

The United Network for Organ Sharing is committed to providing accurate and reliable information for transplant patients. To learn more about our content authorship and review process, please read about our Editorial Board.

The content on this page was originally created on August 1, 2003 by the United Network for Organ Sharing and last modified on October 10, 2003. The following sources were used as references:

National Library of Medicine, retrieved June 1, 2003.

Smith, Susan L., PhD, RN and Victoria S. Dittrich, MSN, RN, CCTC. Ed. Franki Chabalewski. "Nursing Care of the Liver Transplant Recipient." UNOS Donation and Transplantation Nursing Curriculum. 1996

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