information manual - for liver transplant recipients and their families

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THE LIVER TRANSPLANT UNITINFORMATION MANUAL2
THE LIVER TRANSPLANT UNITINTRODUCTIONThis booklet has been designed to give you the information you and your family need to help youunderstand what is involved in liver transplantation. Various members of the Transplant Team willdiscuss this information with you. You are encouraged to ask questions or talk about any anxietiesconcerning any of this information. Our aim is to inform you about liver transplantation, so that you canmake decisions about your treatment based on a good knowledge of the procedures, benefits and risksof liver transplantation.The Liver Transplant Unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was opened in 1986. Since then the Unit hasperformed more than 1000 liver transplants.The general goals of liver transplantation are to prolong life and improve the quality of life whileoptimising the use of available liver donors. The liver transplant process continues to evolve andimprove, demonstrating excellent survival rates, now over 90% one year patient survival rates.Most diseases that end with liver failure have been successfully treated by liver transplantation. Themost common indications for liver transplantation in adults are chronic hepatitis C, hepatitis B, primaryliver cancer (also known as hepatocellular carcinoma), primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosingcholangitis, autoimmune liver disease and alcoholic liver disease. Other indications include metabolicliver diseases including haemochromatosis and Wilson’s disease, acute liver failure and massive liverenlargement due to a variety of causesLiver transplantation is usually recommended when there is a progressive deterioration in liver function.Liver failure is manifested by a number of physical and clinical symptoms (eg: ascites (abdominalswelling due to fluid accumulation), variceal bleeding (bleeding from large veins in the oesophagus),hepatic encephalopathy (confusion and vagueness), or malnutrition) and by changes in blood resultsthat suggest deteriorating liver function (eg: low albumin, rising bilirubin and blood clottingabnormalities).3INFORMATION MANUAL
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THE LIVER TRANSPLANT UNITAppendix E
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THE LIVER TRANSPLANT UNITNotesINFOR
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information manual - for liver transplant recipients and their families

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