What is a liver transplant?

Question 1
Liver disease is on the increase globally, so you may be surprised how many liver transplant
operations are performed each year. How many do you think occur annually?

Over 100,000

20,000

2,500

Albumin concentration in blood is used to tell if someone’s liver is working properly. Why do
you think this test tells you something about the liver?

Albumin is synthesised by the liver so if the liver is damaged, concentrations in blood will go
down.

Albumin is cleared by the liver so if levels go up it means the liver is not working properly.

Albumin is present in some medications, so high levels may tell you if someone has damaged
their liver as a response to exposure to medicines or drugs.
What is a split liver transplant?

A procedure where a donor liver is cut in half to supply transplantable material for two
recipients.

The delay between collecting a donor liver and inserting it into a recipient.

When was the first human liver transplant performed?

1948

1967

1963

Do you have to tissue-type match a donor liver to the recipient?

No

Yes

How long do you need to stay in hospital following a transplant?

More than 14 days

Just a few days

Is it possible that the diagnosis of a patient having a transplant may change following the
operation?

Yes

No

Do all liver transplant patients need to stay on immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their
lives?

Yes

No

Finally, how many people do you think may need to be in the operating theatre during the
surgery to insert a new liver?

10 or more

less than 5

One of the great successes in the liver transplantation field has been improvements in patient
survival post-transplant. Can you remember what current survival rates are?
75% at 1 year and 50% at 5 years

99% at 1 year and 95% at five years

95% at 1 year and 75% at five years

What is the greatest challenge for the future of liver transplantation?

Improving the surgical technique.

Prevention of graft rejection.

To match the number of donor organs to the demand for tissue.

How might split-liver procedures improve the outlook for future transplant recipients?

By increasing the amount of material available for transplant.

By talking about their experiences and promoting organ donation.

How might stem cells be used to treat liver disease?

By being used as a treatment to reduce liver damage and thus prevent the need for
transplantation.
By being used to fight viral infection.

By being used to grow artificial livers in the laboratory.

How might anti-viral therapies reduce the need for donor organs?

By increasing the pool of non-infected donor organs.

By clearing viral infections so that patient livers do not progress to cirrhosis and liver failure.