Advances in liver transplant surgery and the liver’s unique ability to regenerate allow people to donate part of their liver to help someone in dire need of a transplant.
Living donation accounts for almost 6,000 organ donations each year. Receiving a living donation decreases a person’s wait time on the national transplant wait-list. This process saves vital time and could save lives. Additionally, a liver from a living donor can start functioning immediately, leading to better results overall post-surgery.
Our transplant team will discuss, in detail, the benefits and risks of living-liver donation during your pre-donation evaluation.
If, at any time, you feel uneasy, we'll stop the process.
There are many benefits of living-liver donation, including:
Surgery of any kind carries basic risks. Keep in mind that UPMC’s renowned liver transplant surgeons have experience with complex cases. This knowledge allows us to reduce the risks of complications during liver transplant surgery.
It is on a rare occasion that a complication would occur during living-donor liver transplant that would require further corrective surgery or medical treatments.
Some risks of living-donor liver transplant may include:
Living-liver donation can help more than 14,000 people currently on the waiting list. Living donors can make a life-changing difference in many lives. UPMC’s liver transplant team is dedicated to helping living donors and ensuring that they receive the care and assistance they need during the process.
The links below will open a new browser window.
UPMC's HealthBeat Blog:
From our Health Library:
Additional resources: