Living Donor Liver Transplant in Kochi

A Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT) is a procedure in which a portion of the liver is surgically removed from a healthy living donor and transplanted into a patient with severe liver disease. The liver has a unique ability to regenerate, allowing the remaining liver in the donor and the transplanted portion in the recipient to increase in volume following surgery. At Apollo Adlux Hospital, Kochi, living donor liver transplantation is delivered through an integrated programme focused on both recipient outcomes and donor safety.

Who May Need a Living Donor Liver Transplant?

Living donor liver transplantation may be considered for appropriately selected patients with conditions such as:

• End-stage liver disease
• Decompensated liver cirrhosis
• Acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure in selected patients
• Certain inherited or metabolic liver disorders
• Selected cases of hepatocellular carcinoma
• Other irreversible liver diseases where transplantation is considered appropriate

Every patient is assessed individually by the liver transplant team before transplantation is recommended.

Living Liver Donor Evaluation

Donor safety is a fundamental component of living donor liver transplantation. Potential donors undergo a comprehensive evaluation that may include:

• Blood group testing
• Liver function assessment
• Detailed liver imaging
• Evaluation of liver volume
• Assessment of liver blood vessels and bile ducts
• Cardiovascular and pulmonary evaluation
• Infection screening
• General medical evaluation
• Anaesthesia assessment
• Psychological assessment and counselling
• Nutritional assessment

The donor's liver anatomy and overall health are carefully assessed before donation is considered.

Living Donor Liver Transplant Procedure

During LDLT, the transplant surgical team removes a carefully planned portion of the healthy donor's liver. The diseased liver is removed from the recipient and the donor liver segment is implanted in its place. The transplanted liver segment is connected to the recipient's major blood vessels and bile duct to establish blood flow and bile drainage. Living donor procedures involve simultaneous coordination between specialised donor and recipient surgical teams and require extensive surgical, anaesthesia and intensive care expertise.

Benefits of Living Donor Liver Transplantation

For selected patients, living donor transplantation can allow transplantation to be planned once an appropriate donor has successfully completed evaluation. Other potential advantages include:

• Planned timing of transplantation
• Detailed evaluation of the donor before surgery
• Reduced dependence on waiting for a deceased donor organ
• Ability to undertake transplantation before further progression of liver disease in suitable cases

The suitability and expected benefits of LDLT vary between patients and require individual specialist assessment.

Recovery After Living Donor Liver Transplant

Following transplantation, recipients are transferred to a specialised transplant intensive care environment for close monitoring. Liver function, blood circulation, kidney function, respiratory status, infection indicators and other clinical parameters are monitored closely. Patients require immunosuppressive medicines after transplantation to reduce the risk of rejection and need structured long-term transplant follow-up.

Living Donor Liver Transplant at Apollo Adlux Hospital

The Living Donor Liver Transplant Programme at Apollo Adlux Hospital combines advanced transplant surgery, multidisciplinary hepatology care, dedicated intensive care, infection management, rehabilitation and long-term transplant monitoring.