Living-Donor Liver Transplant Information and Process

When you come to UPMC as a potential liver donor, our team of transplant experts will make sure that organ donation poses the least possible risk to you and the transplant recipient.

What are the Steps in the Living-Liver Donation Process?

1. Pre-liver-donation evaluation
2. Surgery to remove part of your liver
3. Post-liver-donation recovery

Throughout the living-donor liver donation process, you will interact with our liver transplant team of:

• Transplant hepatologist
• Liver transplant surgeon
• Living-donor liver coordinator
• Living-donor advocate
• Transplant social worker
• Nutritionist
• Financial advisor

Your Living-Donor Advocate

 We will assign an independent living-donor advocate who will act on your behalf.

Your living-donor advocate will:

• Make sure you are fully aware of what it means to be a living-liver donor.
• Answer any questions on how to donate your liver.
• Explain and help you understand the benefits and risks of living-donor liver transplant surgery.
• Voice any of your concerns to the liver transplant team.

What to Do to Prepare for Your Liver Transplant

If you are approved as a living donor, you will work with the transplant team to schedule a date for your transplant. 

Once the surgery is scheduled, you and your recipient will come for an appointment the day before surgery. You and your recipient will meet in the same room, at the same time, along with your family or loved ones. 

This appointment will last about one to two hours. The transplant surgeon will:

• Review the surgery
• Get consent forms
• Answer any last-minute questions

Instructions will be given about when to stop eating and drinking before surgery.

Once this appointment is over, you will leave and will come back to be admitted early in the morning on the day of surgery.

Learn More About Living-Donor Liver Transplant

The links below will open a new browser window.

UPMC's HealthBeat Blog:

• Living-Donor Liver Transplant: A Choice to Stop Waiting and Keep Living
• Living-Donor: Medical Mondays
• Can I Donate Certain Organs While I’m Still Alive?
• How to Register to Become an Organ Donor
• 6 Common Organ Donation Myths Debunked
• The Impact of One Organ Donor

From our Health Library:

• Becoming an Organ Donor
• Living Organ Donation