Risks and Potential Complications for Recipient and/ or Donor

As with all surgery, especially those done under general anaesthesia, there is a risk of complications. Most complications are minor and resolve on their own. In rare cases, the complications are serious enough to require more surgery or medical procedures. It’s very important to take an active role in learning more about these potential risks, short- or long-term, from the transplant team doctors and the transplant coordinator.

• Surgical Complications
  • Infection of the incision wound, thereby delaying the healing process;
  • Heart complications;
  • Stroke;
  • Blood clot formation in the leg or lungs. While the risk of severe complications, as above, is minimal and quite rare, these are more common complications or side effects of liver:
  • The most common liver-related complication is bile leakage. Bile leakage happens in about 5 to 15 percent of the patients. Most bile leaks resolve without the need for surgery. Occasionally, T-tubes or stents need to be placed to aid in the healing process. In rare cases, surgery may be needed to correct the bile leak;
  • The surgical process of removing a portion of the liver creates the risk of a bile duct being damaged. There could also be damage to surrounding organs and tissues, such as the spleen or bowel. In such cases, follow-up surgery may be needed to repair the injury.
  • Incisional hernia. A hernia is the protrusion of an organ through the wall that normally contains it. This could be due to thinning or stretching of scar tissue that forms after surgery. This weakened scar tissue then creates a weakness in the abdominal wall allowing part of the abdominal contents to protrude through.
  • There is a small risk of bleeding in the recipient from the place where the donor and recipient blood vessels were sewn together.
  • Allergic reactions to the anaesthesia. Part of the screening process includes identifying allergies you may have. In the event of an allergic reaction to anaesthesia, an anaesthetist (or anaesthesiologist) will take immediate corrective action.
  • Risk of remaining liver failing;
  • Hyperbilirubinemia or jaundice. It is a condition in which there is too much bilirubin in the blood causing the yellowing of the eyes and skin;
  • Small bowel obstruction;
  • Pancreatitis
  • Bleeding duodenal ulcer
  • Renal failure
  • Portal vein thrombosis
  • Pulmonary embolism is a condition that occurs when an artery in your lung becomes blocked by blood clots that may have travelled to the lungs from another part of your body.
  • Intra abdominal bleeding
  • Plueural effusion is abnormal accumulation of fluid that accumulates in the pleural cavity, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs.
  • Gastric perforation
  • Gastric outlet obstruction
  • Death.

• Psychological Concerns: In addition to possible health concerns, depression and anxiety after surgery is a common concern amongst the donors. These are often attributed to the healing process of surgery and possible negative outcome for the recipient such as infection, organ rejection or even death. For a living donor, the news of such problems can be devastating. The family, relatives and friends support system with the help of the transplant team psychiatrist will go a long way to ease the donor’s mind and overcome the depression.

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