When your child has a liver transplant
A liver transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person. The liver may come from a deceased donor or from a living donor. Family members or individuals who are unrelated but make a good match may be able to donate a portion of their liver. This type of transplant is called a living transplant. Individuals who donate a portion of their liver can live healthy lives with the remaining liver. An entire liver may be transplanted, or just a section. Because the liver is the only organ in the body able to regenerate, a transplanted portion of a liver can rebuild to normal capacity within weeks.
When is a liver transplant recommended?
A liver transplant is recommended for children who have serious liver dysfunction and will not be able to live without having the liver replaced. The most common liver disease in children for which transplants are done is biliary atresia. Other diseases may include Alagille syndrome, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Wilson's disease, hepatitis, and hemochromatosis.
And many children in the United States are waiting for a transplant. See the latest figures from The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which is administered by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). UNOS, based in Richmond, Virginia, is under contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.