Liver Transplantation for Children
Liver transplantation is highly successful for children suffering from end-stage liver diseases, providing them with the chance to live a long and healthy life. This article explains the procedure, costs, and essential health information related to liver transplants for children.
Cost of Liver Transplantation for Children
The cost of liver transplantation varies across countries. In Turkey, the procedure can be performed for a minimum of $52,000. Costs also differ depending on the hospital, the services included in the treatment plan, and the expertise of the surgeon performing the procedure.
Health Information About Liver Transplants for Children
What is a Liver Transplant for Children?
Liver transplantation is performed when a child’s liver fails to function adequately, a condition that can lead to life loss without a healthy replacement liver. Doctors recommend transplantation only when all other treatment options have failed.
The new liver may come from:
- Deceased Donors: Organs from individuals who have passed away.
- Living Donors: Healthy individuals, often family members or unrelated donors, with a matching blood type.
Living donors can lead healthy lives after donating a portion of their liver. The liver has the unique ability to regenerate lost or damaged tissue. The donor’s liver and the portion transplanted into the child typically regrow to their normal size within weeks after surgery.
Reasons for Liver Transplants in Children
Doctors recommend liver transplantation for children suffering from severe liver conditions, most commonly biliary atresia. This rare condition affects newborns, leading to liver and bile duct dysfunction.
Other conditions include:
- Liver cancer and tumors.
- Acute liver failure due to autoimmune diseases, unknown causes, or drug overdoses (e.g., acetaminophen).
- Genetic liver diseases.
- Congenital conditions like Alagille syndrome.
- Viral hepatitis.
- Iron overload causing organ damage (hemochromatosis).
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a hereditary condition increasing liver disease risk.
Risks of Liver Transplantation for Children
While liver transplants are generally successful, they carry certain risks, such as:
- Rejection of the new liver by the immune system.
- Bleeding.
- Infections.
- Blockage of blood vessels supplying the new liver.
- Leakage or blockage in the bile ducts.
- Temporary failure of the transplanted liver immediately after surgery.
Rejection occurs when the immune system treats the new liver as foreign. To prevent this, children are prescribed immunosuppressive medications. These drugs reduce immune system activity and must be taken long-term.
Pre-Transplant Evaluation for Children
If a liver transplant is deemed necessary, the child is referred to a liver transplant center.
At the center, a healthcare team evaluates whether the child is healthy enough for surgery and post-surgical medications. The evaluation includes:
- Blood Tests: To determine blood type.
- Imaging Tests: Ultrasound or CT scans of the abdomen.
- Liver Biopsy: A small tissue sample may be taken for microscopic analysis.
If the tests confirm the need for transplantation, the next step is finding a suitable donor. This can involve:
- Adding the child’s name to a waiting list for deceased donor livers.
- Identifying a living donor with a compatible blood type.
During the Transplant Procedure
The transplant team prepares the child for surgery upon arrival at the hospital. Additional tests may be conducted to ensure the suitability of the donor liver.
In the operating room:
- The surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen and removes the diseased liver.
- The new liver is implanted, with blood vessels and bile ducts connected to the child’s organs.
- The incision is then closed.
For living donor transplants, the donated portion of the liver regenerates to a normal size in the recipient within weeks.
The surgery typically lasts 7 to 10 hours.
Post-Transplant Recovery
After the surgery, the child is moved to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The duration of PICU stay depends on the child’s condition, after which they are transferred to a transplant care unit for close monitoring.
Most children remain in the hospital for about two weeks post-surgery. During this time, their families are trained on how to care for the child’s new liver.
Upon discharge, follow-up visits to the hospital are scheduled to ensure the liver is functioning well.
Liver Transplant Timeline in Turkey
- Surgery Duration: 7–10 hours.
- Hospital Stay: 3–4 weeks.
- Recovery in Turkey: Minimum of 2 months.
- Complete Recovery: 6 months from surgery date.
