Liver Transplant: Risks, Precaution, Prevention

What are the known complications of the surgery?

Complications of a liver transplant surgery may include:

1. Bleeding
2. Blood clots
3. Failure of donated liver
4. Bile duct complications, like leakage or shrinking of bile duct
5. Infection
6. Memory problems
7. Rejection of donated liver

Patients are given medication for the rest of their lives to counter any chances of rejection of the donor liver. However, these medications can cause side effects such as:

1. Thinning of bones
2. Diabetes
3. Diarrhoea
4. Headache
5. High cholesterol
6. High blood pressure

What precautions or steps are necessary to stay healthy and happy before and after a liver transplant?

The wait for a donor liver could range between few days to months. While a patient waits for a new liver, the doctor continues to treat the complications of liver failure to bring as much comfort to the patient as is possible. Once the liver transplant is carried out, patient will be required to do the following:

1. Stay in the intensive care unit for few days after operation to monitor for any signs of complications. The new liver will also be tested for functionality.
2. Spend couple of weeks in hospital till a stable condition is achieved and the patient recuperates.
3. Undergo frequent check-ups during recovery.
4. Take medications (immunosuppressants) for the rest of their lives. These drugs help reduce the risk of complications following a liver transplant by preventing the patient's immune system from attacking the new liver.

Full recovery may take six months to a year, though a patient may be able to resume normal activities like going back to work after few months.

How can the disorder be prevented from happening or recurring?

Once the liver transplant is completed, the recovering patient must take the immunosuppressant drugs as prescribed by the doctor for the rest of their life. These drugs are crucial in suppressing the body's immune system and preventing it from rejecting the new liver.

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