Recovery Time After Liver Transplant

A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that removes a liver that no longer functions properly and replaces it with a healthy liver from a deceased donor or a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. Liver transplant is a treatment option for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure. The most common technique is orthotopic transplantation, in which the native liver is removed and replaced by the donor organ in the same anatomic position as the original liver. It is a complex surgical procedure requiring careful harvest of the donor organ and meticulous implantation into the recipient. Liver transplantation is highly regulated, and the surgical procedure is only done at designated transplant medical centers by highly trained transplant physicians and supporting the medical team. The duration of the surgery ranges from 4 to 18 hours depending on the outcome.

Recovery time after liver transplant is usually six months or more before the patient feels fully healed. The liver begins to regenerate itself almost immediately. During surgery, about 40 percent to 60 percent of the donor's liver is removed. The average hospital stay for both recipients and donors is seven days and the recovery time for donors is about two months. The patient may be able to resume normal activities or go back to work a few months after surgery.

Life after liver transplant depends on the success rate of the transplant. In general, about 75% of people who undergo liver transplants live for at least five years. Whether you are giving away part of your liver or getting a new one, life often goes back to normal a few months after liver transplant surgery. Within three months, the liver reaches its normal size and the patient can get back to the normal routine.