Living Liver Donation

Becoming a living liver donor is made up of three parts: evaluation, approval, and surgery.

Evaluation, in most cases, can be done over the course of three to four weeks with most of the testing being done in two days in our transplant clinic. It may take an extra one to two weeks to go over your results and get approval to donate.

Once approved, surgery can move forward based on availability. The timeframe may be extended if unexpected health issues are discovered for the donor or the person getting the liver.

There are two important parts to finding a match – learning your blood group type with a blood draw and an assessment of your liver’s weight and structure using a CT scan and MRI scan.

If you are not a match with the intended recipient, you may have the option to see if you could be a match for someone else who’s waiting to get a living liver donor transplant.

If multiple potential living donors step forward for the same person who needs a liver transplant, a donor will be chosen based on blood group, best match, overall health, and availability. In these cases, a living donor may be put on hold while we find another person who needs a liver transplant.

As with any surgery, there are many risks associated with living liver donation surgery. Most risks are rare and minor and resolve on their own. In some cases, the complications are serious enough to require another surgery or medical procedure or can cause severe injury or death.

Every donor candidate is required to join our online donor education class. During this class we discuss the risks and allow time for questions. Some of the risks include:

• Scars, pain, fatigue, and other consequences typical of any surgical procedure.
• Hernia or wound infection.
• Abdominal or bowel symptoms such as bloating and nausea.
• Possible death and/or illness for a living donor may be impacted by age, obesity, hypertension, or other donor-specific pre-existing conditions.
• Bleeding during or after surgery.
• There may be a delay in the function of your donated liver tissue after it has been placed in the recipient. There is a possibility that your donated liver tissue will not function for the recipient.
• Biliary complications, including leaking or stricture development, that may require additional interventions.
• Damage to nerves. This can happen from pressure or positioning of the arms, legs, or back during the surgery. Nerve damage can cause numbness, weakness, and/or pain. In most cases these symptoms are temporary.
• Surgical site infection

Because living liver donation is a relatively new procedure, it is not known what the long-term complications may be. However, studies of large groups of living donors over the last 30 years have shown that donation does not affect long-term life expectancy.

Most people who donate a liver should plan to take six to eight weeks off of work for surgery and recovery. Please bear in mind it can take more time for your energy levels to return to normal.

Physically demanding jobs, like ones that require you to lift more than ten pounds, may require eight to 12 weeks off of work. Strenuous activity and vigorous exercise should be avoided for six to eight weeks.

We recommend a heart-healthy diet after donating a liver.

Expenses related to liver donor testing, surgery, and follow-up are covered by the insurance of the person getting the liver. However, donors will need to prepare for the cost of travel, housing, and lost wages.

Living liver donors can apply for financial assistance through the National Living Donor Assistance Center.

We encourage you to look into other resources, including more about the financial and medical impacts of living donation, at the American Society of Transplantation Living Donor Toolkit.

Living liver donors need to travel to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah for evaluation and surgery. After the liver donation surgery, the donor will need to stay in the Salt Lake City area for two weeks, or until they‘re cleared to go home. If you’re planning a trip, please contact us before booking flights or a hotel room: (801) 507-6363 or IMEDLiverDonor@imail.org. We can give you a list of hotels with discounted rates and give you guidance on how to apply for financial help.

If you’ve completed the living liver donor health questionnaire, you will have the chance to talk to someone who has gone through living liver donation before. We have a community of living donors who would be happy to talk about their liver donation & recovery experiences with you.