A liver transplant is a surgical procedure which removes a liver which no longer works correctly post a liver failure and replaces it with a wholesome liver from a living or deceased donor.

The liver is the largest organ and plays many functions, such as

• Eliminating toxins and bacteria in the bloodstream
• preventing disease and regulating immune reactions
• Processing enzymes, hormones and medications
• Producing bile, which helps the body absorb cholesterol, fats and fat-soluble vitamins
• Producing proteins that help the blood clot
• Liver transplant is generally reserved for those that have complications due to end-stage liver disease. In very rare conditions, a sudden failure of a normal liver might happen without any discernible reasons.

Liver transplant is a treatment alternative for those who have liver failure and whose illness cannot be controlled and for many people who live with liver cancer.

Liver failure may occur quickly or progressively over a longer period. Liver failure which occurs immediately, in a matter of weeks, is known as an acute or fulminant hepatic failure and is normally the consequence of medication-induced liver injury.

A liver transplant is also utilized to treat acute liver failure but generally, it is more often used for chronic liver failures that happen over years and months.

Many different conditions may cause liver failure. The most usual cause of chronic liver failure is because of the liver cirrhosis, a procedure where scar tissue replaces normal liver tissue and impairs liver function. Cirrhosis is the most common cause of a liver transplant.

Causes of liver cirrhosis resulting in a liver transplant include

• Hepatitis B and C.
• Alcoholic liver disorder.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Genetic diseases affecting the liver like hemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease.
• Diseases which affect the bile ducts or the tubes which take bile from the liver, such as primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and biliary atresia. Biliary atresia is the most common cause of liver transplant in children.

Deceased-donor liver transplant

• You are going to be asked to arrive at the clinic if you are advised that a liver from a donor is available. Your healthcare team will admit you and you will undergo an exam to ensure that you are healthy enough.
• Liver transplant operation is performed with general anaesthesia, which means you will be unaware throughout the process.
• The transplant surgeon makes a long incision across your stomach. Size and the location of your incision vary based on your anatomy and a physician’s strategy.
• The physician disconnects the bile ducts and your liver’s blood supply and removes the liver. The donor’s liver is set in your body, and bile ducts and blood vessels are reattached. Surgery may take around 12 hours, depending upon the circumstance.
• After the liver is set up, the surgeon uses stitches and staples to close the incision. You are then taken to the recovery.

Living-donor liver transplant

• Surgeons may transplant some of the donor’s liver if you are getting a liver transplant from a living donor.
• Surgeons operate taking away a section of the liver for transplant. Surgeons eliminate and set the liver part inside the body. They join the liver blood vessels and bile ducts.
• The transplanted liver part within the body or the patient as well as within the donor metabolize and grow quickly, reaching the standard volume soon.

Following a liver transplant

You can expect to

• Maybe remain in the intensive care unit for a couple of days. Physicians and nurses will monitor your condition to watch for signs of complications. They examine your liver function for signs that your new liver is functioning well.
• Devote 5 to 10 times at the hospital. As soon as you’re secure, you are taken to a transplant restoration space to keep on recuperating.
• Have regular check-ups as you keep on recovering in your home. Your transplant team designs a check-up program for you. You may undergo blood tests a couple of times per week at first and then less frequently.
• Take drugs for the rest of your life. You will take a range of drugs following your liver transplant, most for the rest of your life. Drugs known as immunosuppressants prevent your immune system from attacking your transplanted new portion of the liver. Medications help decrease the risk of complications.
• Anticipate longer healing time or six months until you will feel treated after your liver transplant operation. You may have the ability to return to work after a few months following an operation or to resume regular activities. Exactly how much time that is, may depend on how sick you were before your liver transplant.

Protecting your New Liver

Nutrition & Healthy Eating –

Eat a wholesome diet with a large number of vegetables and fruits. You may eat vegetables and fruits, but make sure you wash all produce. Don’t eat fish. All meats must be cooked to at least medium. Avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice.

Weight Gain – Weight gain is an issue after transplantation.

This is the consequence of an increased desire to eat food due to the drugs being consumed.

• Eliminating fatty or most fat and fried foods out of the foods can help control your cholesterol in addition to this issue.
• If weight reduction gets acute, you might have to understand a dietary specialist.

Weight Loss – Losing weight is common following transplant. Some people today experience a loss of desire to eat.

• Weakness and medication might lead to loss of appetite.
• Eating five or six small meals instead of three big meals is a good thing to do.

Dietary Specialist – You might need to see a dietary specialist if weight reduction becomes acute.

Diets are not required after transplant.

Patients have difficulties bringing their blood glucose back to normal due to the consumption of drugs. The transplant team will examine any dietary modifications which you might have to make.

Post-Op Liver Transplant Do’s and Don’ts

Things you must do

• Safeguard your wellbeing.
• Wear a mask and wash your hands.
• Take medicines as directed.
• Walk every four hours or earlier.
• Drink at least two to three litres of fluid every day.
• Utilize an incentive spirometer or blow jar daily.
• Know your markers.
• Measure and record your blood pressure four times every day.
• Measure and record your temperature every evening and each morning.
• Weigh yourself and record the outcomes.
• As directed, check your blood glucose.

Avoid the following actions.

• Don’t drive until your doctor says it’s ok too.
• Avoid swimming in seas, rivers, lakes or pools for at least half an hour.
• Avoid climbing numerous measures (over two) until directed otherwise.
• Don’t lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk before instructed.
• Don’t use cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.

Steer clear of the following scenarios.

• Avoid direct sunlight, wear sunblock, a hat and long sleeves.
• Avoid crowds for 3 months to prevent infection.
• Avoid anyone you could get infections from, including fevers, migraines and sore throats.
• Avoid anybody who has a vaccination that was life later that individual for no less than fourteen days received the vaccine.
• Avoid using permanents or hair colour for 3 months.
• Avoid poisonous fumes and chemicals.
• Do not lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, until you obtain doctor clearance.

Avoid these errors

• Don’t take any drugs without the approval of your doctor.

Unless instructed to do so, do not alter or don’t change your medicines on your own.

Following a liver transplant, to keep on enhancing your physical and psychological wellness, activity should be a part of your daily life.

A physical therapist will teach you exercises that will assist you to recover and prevent complications even while you are in the hospital. The therapist and you may also speak about locating an exercise plan that is appropriate to follow in your home.

Shortly you need to walk and based upon your progress, you should begin incorporating physical activity.

Physical activities you like along with walking, bicycling, swimming strength training can be part of a healthy lifestyle after transplant. But make sure you check with your transplant team before changing or beginning your post-transplant exercise regimen.

As the patient recovery is ensured by a liver transplant post-operative care, liver transplant post-operative care is a vital element of the curing process. Post-operative care for individuals might be easy and may be short term or long term or may entail procedure for a few.

In case of long term liver biopsy post-op nursing care, a patient is much better off within the warmth or home rather than in a hospital. Aiding this kind of care is something that we provide from our home care nursing services. As a part of our services, our group of nurses and other caregivers, would come and see you and offer care. In some cases, the nurse may remain with the individual for 24*7 monitoring and attention.

Therefore, if you require liver transplant post-operative care in your home, look no further and trust your loved ones’ care to Care24 and we guarantee a satisfactory and quick recovery of the individual in the most effective and fastest way possible