Liver Transplant
Liver Transplant
Liver Transplant Surgery with Well Dems Travel Agency
Liver transplantation is a life-saving operation for liver failure. Well Dems Travel Agency collaborates with a center recognized as a reference for complex cases in Turkey and abroad, providing patients with the best treatment options.
Liver Transplant Surgery
Liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. A healthy liver is responsible for critical functions such as metabolism, detoxification, immune function, and coagulation. A person cannot live without a liver, and liver functions cannot be performed by a machine. Therefore, patients with chronic liver failure and some acute liver diseases need a healthy organ transplant. During liver transplant surgery, the diseased liver is removed from the body and replaced with a healthy organ from a donor. The operation involves reconnecting blood vessels and the bile duct to ensure the new organ functions properly. At the center partnered with Well Dems Travel Agency, the Orthotopic Liver Transplantation method, recognized as the gold standard worldwide, is used.
Liver transplantation is one of the most complex procedures in surgery and requires high-level expertise throughout the process. Competent patient evaluation, surgery, intensive care, and follow-up are equally important for achieving successful outcomes.
How Long is the Wait for a Liver Transplant?
The number of people waiting for a liver transplant worldwide exceeds the number of organs donated from deceased donors. Therefore, these patients are placed on waiting lists at the national or regional level. Each country sets strict selection criteria for matching and allocating available organs. Most countries allow only their citizens to enroll on waiting lists. Waiting times vary between countries; however, most patients wait for years, and some may never receive a liver from a deceased donor. In Turkey, only Turkish citizens can be registered on the waiting lists. International patients can apply for a living donor transplant if they have a donor willing to donate.
Living Liver Donation
The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. Even if 70% of its tissue is removed, it can continue to function. This makes living donor liver transplants possible. Such transplants can be an alternative to long waiting lists for some patients. After the surgery, the liver portions in both the donor and recipient will regrow, providing normal liver function for each person.
The most significant advantage of living donor liver transplantation is the short waiting time. Recipients do not have to wait for a suitable deceased donor while their health deteriorates. Additionally, the donor can be carefully examined and prepared for surgery. Living donation provides better outcomes than donations from deceased donors because the donor and surgery time are carefully selected.
Living donor liver transplantation is a complex and technically challenging surgery that carries risks for both the donor and the recipient. Therefore, comprehensive pre-operative evaluation and a highly experienced medical team are crucial for a successful outcome.
Pediatric Liver Transplantation
Liver transplantation in children is quite different from transplants in adults. First, the conditions that require transplantation in children are different. In adults, liver failure is usually caused by hepatitis, alcoholic steatohepatitis, or fatty liver disease. In contrast, in children, liver transplantation is often required due to congenital anomalies, with biliary atresia being the most common cause. Second, narrow blood vessels and bile ducts, and the limited space for the liver pose additional challenges for the surgeon.
At the center partnered with Well Dems Travel Agency, liver transplants are routinely performed for pediatric patients and infants, with excellent results. Some of our patients are complex cases that have been rejected by other centers as unsuitable for liver transplantation. Additionally, combined liver-kidney transplants are successfully performed for children with metabolic diseases.
Liver Transplant Criteria
To be evaluated for a living donor liver transplant, both the donor and recipient must meet certain criteria. At the center partnered with Well Dems Travel Agency, the selection criteria for donors include being between 18-55 years of age, being in good general health, having normal liver function, and matching blood types. The donor must be a close relative or someone who agrees to donate without compensation and is approved by our ethics committee. Potential recipients are patients with irreversible end-stage liver disease whose general health condition allows them to undergo the operation. Both the donor and recipient will undergo a comprehensive evaluation process, including various consultations and blood tests, radiological imaging tests, liver biopsy, imaging tests for bile ducts, and genetic tests.
Liver Transplant Procedure
For international patients arriving at the center partnered with Well Dems Travel Agency, the liver transplant process begins with our doctors providing detailed information about organ transplantation, legal requirements in Turkey, medical expectations for the procedure, its impact on quality of life, post-transplant processes, and potential complications. Patients are asked to provide their medical documents, surgical reports, and test results. The process continues with detailed examinations and tests to assess the suitability of both the donor and recipient. If all medical and non-medical requirements are met, the surgery is scheduled within a short time frame.
Our doctors perform the surgery simultaneously for both the donor and recipient, with a portion of the donor's liver being transplanted into the recipient. After surgery, both patients should stay in the intensive care unit for one day. If all goes well, the donor is usually discharged 4-5 days after the surgery. The standard hospital stay for recipients is 12-15 days, but this may vary depending on their condition. Transplant recipients should stay in Turkey for 2-4 weeks after discharge for follow-up examinations.
Liver Transplant Survival Rates
Liver transplant success rates have been steadily increasing. Advances in surgical techniques, organ preservation, and immunosuppression contribute to better outcomes. However, success rates largely depend on the indication for liver transplantation and the experience of the medical team. At the center partnered with Well Dems Travel Agency, the one-year survival rate is 92%, and the five-year survival rate is 89%. These figures include complex cases, pediatric liver transplants (including children under one year old), and combined transplant surgeries.
After a Liver Transplant
After a liver transplant, both the living donor and the recipient must follow certain guidelines. According to their doctors’ advice, they can return to normal activities after the recovery process. The living donor’s liver typically regenerates within three months, while the recipient’s liver should be closely monitored throughout the first year. The recipient must strictly follow the prescribed regimen while taking immunosuppressive medications to prevent the new liver from being rejected. Recipients should also pay attention to their diet and engage in regular exercise.
Why Choose Well Dems Travel Agency for Liver Transplant?
Well Dems Travel Agency collaborates with some of the best liver transplant surgeons in Turkey and the world. Our patients benefit from:
- A reference center for complex and challenging cases for patients from Turkey and abroad
- Experience in pediatric liver transplantation and combined kidney-liver transplantation
- Over 1,000 liver transplants performed with success rates above the global average
- Technical infrastructure and equipment that meet the highest international standards
- An internationally recognized and experienced transplant team
By choosing Well Dems Travel Agency for your liver transplant journey, you can experience a safe process with an experienced team, state-of-the-art facilities, and superior patient care.