Liver Transplant Process at University of Colorado Hospital
Before Liver Transplant Surgery
Before you receive a liver transplant, you have a series of tests to determine your current health.
After these tests are performed, you have a thorough evaluation with various members of the liver transplant medical team.
Following your tests and evaluation, a hepatologist presents your case to the Patient Selection Committee for Liver Transplantation, which meets on a weekly basis. The committee is made up of transplant experts who determine whether liver transplantation is a safe procedure for you. They also will discuss a plan of care for you after transplant.
Either your hepatologist or your transplant coordinator will inform you of the committee’s decision and plan.
Your coordinator will notify you when you are placed on the active transplantation waiting list or registry.
Please note that every patient on the waiting list may be randomly screened for drugs or alcohol at any time. The screening test may be done using a blood or urine sample. Anyone who has a positive test for alcohol or illegal drugs will be removed from the waiting list.
Your Liver Transplant Surgery
After you have received a call to come to the hospital for your transplant surgery, you are admitted to the transplant unit. This is where preparation for surgery begins. You may have some preoperative tests done and be given some medications.
Your surgery will not begin until the donor liver:
- Arrives at the Hospital
- Is examined by the transplant surgeon
- Is considered to be acceptable
Once the decision to proceed with the surgery has been made, you will be given an anesthetic to put you to sleep for the surgery.
Liver transplant surgery can be divided into three stages:
- Removal of the old liver
- Replacement with the new liver
- Reconstruction of the biliary tract (bile duct system of the liver)
Although there are several factors that may influence the difficulty of your surgery, the operation should last five to eight hours.
Summary of procedure
An incision or cut shaped like an upside-down T is made on the upper part of your abdomen. Your old liver is removed and replaced with the new organ, leaving major blood vessels in place. The new liver is then attached to these blood vessels and bile ducts.