The Transplant Surgery

Recipient:

Simultaneously a second team of surgeons will operate on the liver recipient. After making the “Mercedes” incision, the rib spreader is used to expose the diseased liver. The surgical team will remove the diseased liver, leaving portions of the major blood vessels clamped and in place.

The donor’s liver will then be inserted into the abdominal cavity. The veins are first connected with sutures, followed by the hepatic artery and the bile duct. After it is successfully sutured, blood flow to your liver is resumed while the surgeons observe to ensure the new organ is working properly. After ensuring that the new liver is functioning well, the rib spreaders are removed and the surgeon closes the wound using dissolvable sutures or staples covered by a dressing, which will remain in place for a few days following surgery. To help with bile drainage, a T-tube will also be inserted in the bile duct during surgery.

You will be attached to a cardiac monitor, intravenous lines, tubes and drains. Immunosuppressant drugs will be given immediately after the transplant operation. This is so that the body will not reject the liver once it has been transplanted. The whole transplant surgery normally lasts between 8 to 12 hours.

Both the donor and the recipient will be looked after in the ICU immediately after their operations.

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