Liver transplant is surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver.

Liver transplants have become common operations worldwide.

A healthy liver is usually obtained from a donor who has recently died, but has not had liver injury. The donor liver is transported in a cooled salt-water (saline) solution that preserves the organ for up to 8 hours. This allows the necessary tests to match the donor with the recipient.

The diseased liver is removed through a surgical cut in the upper abdomen. The donor liver is put in place and attached to the patient's blood vessels and bile ducts. The operation may take up to 12 hours and requires that the patient receive a large amount of blood through a transfusion.

In some cases, a living donor may donate a section of liver for transplant to a family member or friend. This poses some risk to the donor because of the nature of the operation. However, the liver can regrow itself to some extent. Both people usually end up with fully functioning livers after a successful transplant.

A liver transplant may be recommended for:

• Birth defects of the liver or bile ducts (such as biliary atresia)
• Hepatic vein clot (thrombosis)
• Liver damage (such as cirrhosis or primary biliary cirrhosis)
• Long-term active infection (hepatitis)
• Metabolic disorders associated with liver failure (such as Wilson's disease)

Liver transplant surgery is not recommended for patients who have:

• Heart, lung, or kidney disease
• Type 1 diabetes
• Other life-threatening diseases