Liver transplantation is the surgery of transplanting a whole organ or part of it. The most common type is orthotopic transplantation, where the affected liver is completely removed and a donor organ is transplanted in its place. Often, liver transplantation for cirrhosis or acute liver failure is the only treatment method for the disease.
At the Top Ichilov center, highly qualified doctors – surgeons and hepatologists – work, possessing invaluable clinical experience that allows them to perform liver transplantation surgeries with minimal risks of complications and organ rejection.
How Liver Transplantation is Performed at the Top Ichilov Clinic
Typically, 3 surgeons and 2 anesthesiologists participate in the surgery. The procedure itself is very labor-intensive and takes from 4 to 18 hours. The long duration of the surgery is due to the need to form numerous anastomoses, apply many sutures, and meticulously connect tissues and vessels.
Currently, Israeli transplant surgeons are increasingly inclined to use liver segments from living donors. This method has an important advantage – the transplanted organ is in good condition and integrates better. Additionally, the liver is the only organ with a unique ability to regenerate: it can replenish damaged or missing tissues by growing new cells. Therefore, it is sufficient to transplant only one lobe of the liver – either the right or left – for the organ to eventually restore itself completely (for liver transplantation from an adult to a child using this method, it is enough to take only 20% of the organ from the donor). Transplanting a portion of the liver from a relative further increases the chances of successful organ acceptance, provided that the blood types of the patient and donor are the same or at least compatible.
The liver transplantation operation can be conditionally divided into three stages.
- First, a hepatectomy (removal of the liver or part of it) is performed on the patient.
- Then follows the aghepatic phase (without the liver).
- The liver or its part is transplanted, and the post-implantation phase begins.
Hepatectomy involves separating the liver from the bile ducts, veins, and arteries. The donor blood in the transplanted organ is replaced with a cooled solution of special preparations (Viaspan or GTK – histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate). Implantation includes forming anastomoses – connections of the organ with the veins and arteries responsible for the liver's blood supply, as well as with the patient's bile ducts.
Sometimes, if the condition of the patient's organ allows, their liver is not completely removed but only partially – within one lobe (for example, the lobe affected by a tumor). Accordingly, only one lobe is transplanted. This accelerates the postoperative recovery process and allows the patient to leave the clinic as early as 5-7 days after transplantation.
An important stage in liver transplantation is the postoperative phase. During this period, the organ acceptance occurs, and there are risks of liver rejection by the patient's immune system. Therefore, the patient takes immunosuppressive medications – corticosteroids along with some calcineurin inhibitor (tacrolimus, cyclosporine) and a purine antagonist (mycophenolic acid).
If the intake of such medications is neglected, the rejection process may begin (especially if the organ is not transplanted from a related donor). It can occur in hyperacute, acute, and chronic forms. The acute form is the most common, observed a few days or weeks after the surgery and can progress to chronic rejection. Therefore, a patient with a transplanted liver needs not only to take immunosuppressive medications but also to be periodically monitored by a doctor. To facilitate the acceptance and functioning of the new organ, it is recommended to follow a diet – exclude smoked foods, fatty, fried, spicy dishes, and refrain from alcoholic beverages and smoking.
The prognosis for liver transplantation surgery is usually good, especially if the liver is transplanted from a blood relative and is in good condition. In this case, 55-70% of the liver (the right lobe) is taken from the donor. The remaining part of the organ in the donor successfully regenerates and soon reaches its previous volume. Complete restoration of all liver functions in the donor is observed within 4-6 weeks after the removal of its part.
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How Much Does Liver Transplantation Cost in Israel
One of the factors that leads many foreign patients to prefer undergoing liver transplantation in Israel is the price. In European and American clinics, the surgery for transplanting any organ, especially the liver, is quite expensive. This is due to the need for the involvement of many specialists, the meticulous work of surgeons, and postoperative monitoring of organ acceptance, as well as immunosuppressive therapy.
Israeli medical centers offer their patients liver transplantation surgeries that are 25-45% cheaper than in clinics in the USA, France, and Germany.
Liver Transplant Surgery in Israel – Key Advantages
- Highly qualified specialists. The success of such a complex procedure as organ transplantation largely depends on the professionalism and experience of the surgeons. Our clinic has such specialists, each with numerous successful transplants to their credit.
- The preoperative diagnostics process, intraoperative control, and postoperative monitoring of possible complications at the Top Ichilov center are conducted using the most modern and accurate equipment from leading global manufacturers.
- The cost of liver transplantation in Israel is one of the lowest among countries with highly developed healthcare systems.
- Every patient admitted to our clinic receives treatment in comfortable conditions, surrounded by the attention of medical staff. They have access to a personal curator-translator who ensures the resolution of all arising issues, both related to the preparation and conduct of the transplantation and everyday matters.
- The international department takes care of all organizational issues. We organize your treatment without queues, delays, with the doctor of the patient's choice. With us, treatment is faster and cheaper, as all services are included in the treatment program.