Liver Transplant

 

A variety of liver diseases can lead to end-stage liver disease. A liver transplant may be recommended for patients who have:

Banner Good Samaritan interventional radiologists offer TheraSphere therapy for patients with liver cancer, a embolization procedure that kills liver tumors by injecting microscopic radioactive beads into the tumor’s blood supply. In 2001, Banner Good Samaritan became the first center to accomplish a TheraSphere-liver transplant “downstage” in the U.S. when a local man with previously inoperable liver cancer became eligible for a liver transplant after successful TheraSphere treatment.

 

Patients who have certain conditions may not benefit from liver transplants. Those conditions include:

Prior to transplantation, the liver transplant team thoroughly evaluates potential recipients. The pre-transplant evaluation also determines whether transplantation is truly in the best interest of the patient. The pre-transplant evaluation generally takes place over the course of two or three days on an outpatient basis. Some patients may be admitted to the hospital for completion of the evaluation if their medical condition warrants it. Evaluation results are reviewed by the multi-disciplinary members of the Liver Transplant Candidate Selection Committee, and a decision is made regarding the patient's candidacy.

 

If accepted for transplantation, the patient is listed with the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), the national computerized waiting list that matches transplanted recipients with available organs. Due to the severe shortage of donors, and the increasing number of patients requiring liver transplants, the waiting time for a liver transplant is increasing every year. Many people die while waiting for a liver. Donor livers can also be obtained from a family member or friend who donates a portion of their liver. For more information on living donation, contact our program.

 

While awaiting transplantation, the patient will be monitored by the team at the Liver Disease Center in collaboration with the patient's own primary care physician or gastroenterologist. Patients and families are encouraged to take advantage of the many resources available to them during the waiting period, including transplant education and support groups.

 

When a donor has been identified, the liver transplant patient is admitted to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center for the transplant surgery. During surgery, the recipient's diseased liver is removed, and the new liver is put in place and attached to the patient's blood vessels and bile duct. Patients typically stay in the hospital an average of seven to 10 days following liver transplantation. During recuperation, the transplant recipient is instructed and supported by a team of experienced staff members about the immune-suppressive medications needed to prevent rejection; nutrition; coping strategies; and daily care following discharge.

 

Transplant recipients will continue to be monitored at the Liver Disease Center following discharge from the hospital. The transplant surgeon and hepatologist will together manage the patient's immunosuppressive therapy. After discharge, the patient will be seen at the Liver Disease Center for three months in the transplant clinic for post-operative care, immunosuppressive therapy management, and ongoing education on transplant care. Once stable, the patient returns to his primary physician for general care in conjunction with the Liver Disease Center.

 

Banner Good Samaritan Transplant Services
1300 N. 12th St., Suite 404
Phoenix, Arizona 85006
(602) 839-7000
(602) 839-7050 Fax
Toll-Free 1 (800) 554-1923