Liver diseases have become a serious note of concern for the doctors today. Liver is an important organ of a human body. The dangerous, lethal diseases are fast growing among the common man, while considering the cost of the treatment. The disease has been calculated as among the top 20 causes of death in India, taking the 9th spot surveyed by the WHO data published in 2011. According to the experts, lack of awareness is the reason behind such swift rise in liver diseases and liver failure.
Overview Of Liver Transplant
Treatment of dangerous liver disease was a great challenge for the doctors. Therefore, a new method of treatment arose known as liver transplantation. Liver transplantation is the treatment for the remnant or the terminal stage of liver disease. This is applicable for both adults as well as children. It is an operation carried out in which a part or the whole of diseased liver is removed and substituted by a healthy one. Generally, the rate of success for the operation is high. Even the severely ill patients can survive through this operation. Experts say that the overall success rate of liver transplant is more than 94%. A Liver transplant should only be performed under severely damaged conditions of the liver, such as hepatic coma, liver cancer, massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The patients to have the liver transplantation are always advised to undergo the surgery before there develops any further secondary complications to the liver disease such as cirrhosis. The earlier the operation is carried out, the better the chance of success is.
Who can Donate?
A living person is technically feasible to donate a part of its liver from any side after tissue matching and transplant it to the patient in need. The remainder of the liver in the donor can grow back to its original size within 6-8 weeks. The liver donor should generally be lesser than 50 years of age, with a body mass index of less than 25. A near relative of the recipient has always been more preferred for tissue matching. Also, there should be same blood group of both, the donor and the recipient. Liver donor can be a living or a dead person too. However, a living donor’s liver can have more success rate for the recipient and the patient remains more secured from harmful bacterial decay.
Cost of Liver Transplantation in India
Generally, the average cost of liver transplantation rises up to Rs 18 lakhs approximately in India. The tests of the donor and recipient and such related instruments used itself costs up to Rs 2 lakhs. The rest of the escalated cost of treatment can lead due to hospital and bed charges. Comparatively, cost of liver transplantation is still lesser and affordable in India than in other countries.