Liver transplantation is one of the treatments for many forms of end-stage liver disease. What are the conditions for donor liver transplantation?

A living-donor liver transplant is a surgical procedure in which part of the liver is transferred from a living, healthy person to a person with liver failure.

Within two months of the surgery, the remaining liver of the donor grows back to its normal size and function, and the transplanted liver part of the recipient grows to perform its normal functions.

But what are the conditions for donor liver transplantation?

Conditions for donor liver transplantation

All conditions for donor liver transplantation must be met before proceeding with the transplantation process:

1. Voluntarily donate

Any organ donation by a living person must be completely voluntary and of the donor''s own free will, and it is illegal for anyone to force them to do so.

The donor must also be free from any pressure or guilt that forces him to donate, and it is worth noting that buying or selling organs is against the law.

2. The appropriate age group

One of the conditions for liver transplantation is for the donor to be in the age group ranging from 18 to 55 years in most transplant centers, but when donating a liver to a child, the age of the donor can reach up to 60 years.

The reason for choosing this category is that older donors are more likely to develop complications than younger donors, and transplant centers consider children and adolescents too young to give appropriate consent to donate themselves.

3. Appropriate blood type matching

The donor''s blood type is not required to be completely identical to the blood type of the person who needs a new liver, but there must be compatibility between them as follows:

If the donor''s blood type is type (O), then he is considered a universal donor and can be donated to anyone, noting that if the blood type of the liver recipient is type (O), he can obtain organs from donors of the same type.

If the donor''s blood type is (A), he can donate to those with blood group (A) and type (AB) as well.

If the donor''s blood type is type (B), then he can donate to those who have blood group (B) and group (AB).

If the donor''s blood type is AB, he can donate to those with the same blood type only.

It is worth noting that the Rh factor (Rh) of the donor, whether his blood type is positive or negative, has no role in the conditions of liver transplantation for the donor.

4. The donor is free from medical problems

One of the conditions for liver transplantation is that the donor must be in very good physical health and not have any of the following medical problems:

Serious organic diseases, such as: heart disease and kidney disease.

Currently suffering from a malignant tumor.

Liver disease, including hepatitis.

Active or chronic infections.

Abuse of alcohol or drugs.

Gastrointestinal diseases, autoimmune disorders, nervous system diseases, and some blood disorders.

diabetic.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure.

5. Quit smoking

Although smoking does not disqualify the donor, ideally the donor should quit smoking as soon as possible prior to the procedure.

6. Safety of mental health

The donor must be in good mental and psychological health, and the donor needs a strong social and psychological support system to meet his psychological and physical needs during the recovery period after surgery.

7. Appropriate weight

The donor''s body mass index must be less than 35.

It is also preferable to perform a liver transplant between two people who are approximately similar in size in terms of height and weight.

Pre-transplant examinations of the donor liver

The medical evaluation of the donor helps determine if he is suitable for donation, and the examinations may include all of the following:

Blood tests.

urine test.

Mammography for women over 40 years old.

Colonoscopy if the donor is over 50 years old.

Echocardiogram.

Electrocardiogram.

X-ray imaging.

Radiographic examination.

Risks of donor liver transplantation

Liver donation is a safe process, however it requires major surgery that may be associated with the following potential complications:

Allergic reaction to anesthesia.

Pain and feeling uncomfortable.

Nausea.

Infection of the wound.

Bleeding that may need a blood transfusion.

blood clots

Pneumonia.

Bile leakage.

hernia.