How To Treat Liver Failure

Liver Transplant

When liver failure cannot be stopped by other forms of medical intervention, the patient may need to receive a liver transplant as a last resort. A liver transplant is a surgical procedure in which the damaged liver is replaced by a portion of a donor liver. The donated liver may come from a donor who is either living or deceased. When using a living donor only a portion of the liver is used, because when a portion of the liver is removed, the remaining liver regenerates to replace what was removed, leaving the donor with a normal sized liver roughly thirty days after donation, provided no complications occur. Reports indicate as little as twenty-five percent of a liver can regenerate to full size. Individuals who receive a donated liver or liver portion will need to take medications for the remainder of their life to prevent their body from rejecting the new organ.