Liver Transplantation

Living donor liver transplants require a major operation to remove a portion of a healthy person’s liver and insert it into a person with a sick liver. Liver transplants are the treatment of choice during End Stage Liver Diseases (ESLD). ESLD are a high-priority issue for the World Health Organisation due to the high rates of morbidity and mortality associated with the diseases worldwide. According to official statistics, ESLD cause about 2,500 deaths annually in the US. The number of patients needing liver transplants is increasing.

 

The main goal of liver transplants is to increase life expectancy and the quality of life of ESLD patients. Several internationally acknowledged standards need to be met to be eligible for a liver transplant. The criteria need to be assessed by a team of qualified professionals.

 

 

Any patient suffering from liver cirrhosis who is assessed to have a life expectancy of less than a year should be considered for a transplant. The severity of liver disease is graded from A to C. Usually, all Grade C and most grade B patients are candidates for a transplant.

• High-tech liver ICU
• New infrastructure and comfortable environment
• Up-to-date treatment approaches and technologies
• Latest technology and facilities
• ISO 9001:2015 certified clinical laboratory
• Well-trained, experienced and dedicated doctors and para-medical staff
• Patient-centered and safe medical care

 

For liver transplants, organ donors and recipients should be relatives, and this needs to be proved with identification cards or birth or marriage certificates. In all other cases, court decisions on transplants are needed. An evaluation process will be completed to determine if candidates can safely donate their liver.

• Pre-operative care (consultations, lab and imaging studies are conducted during this period)
• Transplant operation
• Post-operative care

After surgery, patients undergo treatment with pharmaceutical agents. During this period, patients need to remain under close observation by a doctor. Before surgical treatment, patients’ clinical status and prognostic outcome are assessed thoroughly. The first successful transplant in Georgia was carried out in December 2014 at Batumi Referral Hospital. Since then, we have performed 17 living donor liver transplants. Our statistics for patient survival and post-surgical complications compare with the world’s leading transplant centers.