To become a living donor, you must:
At UPMC, our team of liver transplant experts will assess you to ensure that organ donation poses the least possible risk.
Research has shown little long-term risk or effect on a living-liver donor.
But, as with any major surgery, liver donation surgery can include complications such as:
Death is very rare, but has occurred in a few cases.
Our living-donor liver transplant team will discuss all risks in more detail during your pre-donation evaluation.
» Learn more: Benefits and risks of living-liver donation.
In the past, one requirement for living donation was that the liver transplant recipient and donor needed to be a blood group match. This is no longer the case.
If you've been told that donating your liver would not work due to the "wrong" blood type, we urge you to contact our program at (877) 640-6746 to discuss this new possibility.
While many wish to donate a portion of their liver to a family member, you can donate your liver to a friend, coworker, or even a stranger.
Before scheduling living-donor liver surgery, you will undergo a thorough pre-liver-donation evaluation.
This will ensure that:
You will also meet with the living-donor liver transplant team and have the chance to ask any questions.
Before your donation evaluation, a UPMC transplant credit analyst will financially clear you for living-donor liver surgery.
You will then receive a UPMC living-donor insurance card, which includes information about registration and billing.
Your living-donor liver transplant nurse coordinator will give you details on how to prepare for your surgery.
We ask all organ donors to take basic health measures to ensure surgery goes smoothly and lessen the recipient's risks of rejecting your liver.
On the day of living-donor liver transplant surgery, we will admit you to the Ambulatory Surgery Center on the sixth floor of UPMC Montefiore.
You will meet with the transplant surgeon and anesthesiologist who will:
Following the paperwork, you will proceed to the operating room. A nurse will connect you to a machine that monitors your vital signs. You will also receive a sedative from the anesthesiologist.
Living-donor liver transplant surgery will take five to seven hours.
Your loved ones can wait in the Ambulatory Surgery Center waiting area where staff will provide frequent updates. The transplant surgeon will also meet with them after the surgery is complete.
No. You will not need to take any medicine. You will need to receive post-liver-donation care at UPMC Montefiore to ensure proper healing.
Following living-donor liver surgery, you will move to an inpatient post-surgery unit to make sure you do not need further treatment. From there, you will transfer to a transplant recovery floor where you could stay for one week before going home.
Most liver donors return to:
During this time, you will visit the hospital for routine post-liver-donation check-ups.
If you have already met with the UPMC Liver Transplant team, call 412-647-5800 or toll-free at 877-640-6746.
For new liver transplant patients, call 833-514-5999.
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