Some Facts On Liver Surgery

							Some Facts on Liver Surgery

There are multiple reasons a person may need liver surgery. One of the most common reasons amongst
adults is complications due to alcohol abuse. While many people take it for granted, excessive alcohol
consumption can have devastating effects on your liver. While the recommended amounts vary from
country to country, it’s best to avoid drinking too much, and try to avoid drinking every day. It’s also
important that if you have been a heavy drinker in the past, to seek medical help to test your liver
function to make sure everything is working okay.

One of the most common other reasons for a person to need liver surgery is cancer. It is estimated that
one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. When you add into this
the potential damage caused by drinking, liver cancer is quite likely.

However, even if you are diagnosed with liver cancer, provided it is caught early enough, it is a relatively
simple procedure to remove.

On your first visit to a liver surgeon, you will be informed of the different procedures that can be applied
to your circumstances.

The most common procedure to remove damaged or cancerous tissue is a liver resection. In this
procedure, part of your liver –up to 75%- is removed. This procedure can be performed without blood
transfusions, which is good for those concerned with receiving tainted blood. The procedure usually
takes between three and five hours to complete and once the operation is over, you’ll have to stay in
the hospital for up to a week to recover.

Full recovery from a liver resection takes between six and eight weeks for all the removed tissue to re-
grow, but in most cases, patients can lead totally normal lives after that.

The other form of surgery that is most common with liver complications is a liver transplant. This
procedure involves removal of the liver and replacement with a suitable organ from a compatible donor.
Of course, because this procedure involves the total removal of the liver, the risks involved are much
higher. However, modern medicine means those risks are relatively low and you should not be
concerned. Liver transplants are usually only recommended for patients who have more advanced liver
damage and their livers have begun to fail.

It is unfortunate that waiting times for liver donors are amongst the highest of any organs. It is because
of this that it is imperative to seek medical advice every few years to make sure your liver is in full
working order.

If there is no donor available from the donor registry then in some cases it is possible for a family
member to donate a portion of their liver for the procedure. Obviously, because you are only receiving a
portion, not a whole liver, recovery times are longer and your lifestyle may have to change for longer
period. Liver transplants from living relatives are still usually successful and full recoveries are made.

As you can see, it is very important to take good care of your liver and make sure it is healthy, and if it
isn’t, to diagnose it early enough to get the proper treatment.