The liver is a very important part of our body which helps to make our body healthier. According to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), these organisations state that the liver is the largest internal organ in the human body. A liver transplant is not only a medical procedure, but it’s a life saving procedure. It happens when the liver stops functioning properly. If the conditions of the liver increase because of obesity, alcohol consumption, infections and genetic disorders, then the demand for liver transplants has increased.
The UK is known for its advanced healthcare procedures, experienced surgeons, aftercare, high success rates in organ transplants and many other things that help in the success of liver transplants. If you are searching for information about liver transplants in the UK, this guide will help you to understand everything. Such as the procedure of transplant, costs, success rates and the factors that influence the overall treatment expenses.
What is a Liver Transplant?
A liver transplant is a surgery in which a damaged, diseased or failing liver is replaced with a healthy liver. It is donated by a living donor and a deceased donor. The liver is very important and does a great job which no other machine can do; if the liver stops working. It helps to break down the food, clean the blood and help to digest the food. So, at the end, getting a new liver from a donor is the only option to save people with liver disease. This treatment is only considered when the medical therapy didn’t work properly.
The doctor carefully sees the liver disease, the patient’s overall health and the benefits from the transplantation. If the patients are facing conditions like cirrhosis, acute liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma then a liver transplant can improve the life of the patients. The transplantation becomes necessary when the liver is not able to perform its basic and important functions. Such as digestion, supporting metabolism, and storing nutrients and vitamins.
Who Needs a Liver Transplant?
The issues that are related to the liver are quite common these days but not everyone can get a liver transplant. Doctors only suggest a liver transplant to those patients who are suffering from end stage liver disease. Also, if the patient’s liver is no longer working and other medical treatments are failing. Before the transplant, the doctor checks everything to ensure that the transplantation is the only option. If you are suffering from any of these conditions, you must consult your doctor for further advice.
Fatty Liver Disease
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease are becoming major causes of liver failure worldwide. This occurs when excess fat accumulates in the liver. It doesn’t show symptoms while growing, but if left untreated, it can cause permanent damage. There are so many fatty liver symptoms like lack of appetite, fatigue, nausea, bleeding and many more.
Liver Cancer
Patients with early-stage liver cancer which is also known as hepatocellular carcinoma, may benefit from a transplant if other treatments are ineffective. It can be treated if the tumor is detected early and meets certain criteria. It can occur directly in the cells of the liver or can spread from another organ. Some common symptoms of this are loss of appetite, weight loss, pain in the upper right abdomen and yellowish skin.
Acute Liver Failure
Acute liver failure is a very rare but life threatening condition in which the liver rapidly loses its ability to function, sometimes in a person with no prior history of liver diseases. In such cases, the urgent transplantation may be the only viable treatment. The causes include viral hepatitis, overdose of medications such as paracetamol, which is acetaminophen, drug induced liver injury, and some autoimmune conditions. Warning signs need immediate medical attention, including jaundice, upper abdominal swelling, confusion, and extreme fatigue.
Metabolic and Genetic Disorders
Metabolic conditions affect the liver’s ability to process like alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. This leads to the failure of the liver and then requires transplantation. These are inherited conditions that can lead to liver failure. These are caused by gene mutations, which can affect the normal functioning of the liver. Some of its types are hemochromatosis, wilson diseases and cystic fibrosis.
Types of Liver Transplant Surgeries
There are four types of liver transplant surgeries that are offered to patients. For the liver transplant surgery, the doctor suggests some important things that recipients should follow. Such as for the liver transplant surgeries, the liver has to match the recipient’s blood group, tissue type and size. When the transplant centre calls the patients, they are advised not to take anything by mouth, not even a glass of water. After that they are ready to get the operation as soon as possible. Now we will know the types of liver transplant surgery.
Deceased Donor Liver Transplant
The other name of the deceased donor is an orthotopic transplant and it is the most common transplant. In this some people keep their name on the waiting list for a donor. And as soon as a donor is available the next patient on the waiting list is contacted. The liver comes from the donor who gets ready to donate their organ before they die. But that person should not have any disease or cancer which can be transferred to the patients who receive the organ.
During the surgery, the liver of the recipient is completely removed and replaced with the healthy, whole liver from a deceased donor. For the surgery, the surgeon makes a small cut on the upper abdomen and removes the diseased or damaged liver carefully. Then the surgeon placed the donor liver in its position and connected all the blood vessels and bile ducts. At last, the cut will be closed with dissolved stitches or surgical staples. After the surgery, the drainage tube will be attached to drain the extra fluids for some days. At the end, the patient will shift to the ICU for monitoring to see their recovery phase in the hospital.
There are so many patients who need to stay for some weeks in the hospital after the surgery to recover properly. Doctors prescribe immunosuppressant medications to prevent the new liver to reject. But before taking these medications you have to consult with your doctor. You have to take proper care of yourself so that you can live a longer and healthier life. The National Organ Retrieval Service which operates under the NHS Blood and Transplant, takes the proper care of all deceased donor organ transfers in the UK.
Living Donor Liver Transplant
The living donor transplant is given by the person who agrees to donate the organ. It is given by a close relative or friend. At first the donor has the operation in which the surgeon removes the left or the right side of a lobe of the liver. Right lobe transplants are recommended for adults and left lobes are for children, so they take it out according to the recipient. It happens because of a size difference; the right lobe is bigger and suitable for adults. While the left lobe is smaller and suitable for children.
After that the diseased liver is removed from the recipient. And the part of the liver which is taken from the donor is placed and connected with the blood vessels and bile ducts. After the transplant the lobe regenerates by itself. They remove a small portion of the liver from the donor and after that the liver grows back. And the recipient’s new lobe also grows to 85% of the original liver size and it will take weeks to months.
The living donor liver transplant has so many benefits such as reducing the waiting time. The patients don’t have to depend on the deceased donor organ. It is the better option for the patients who are facing a critical situation and cannot survive any longer. According to the studies, outcomes for living donor recipients are good and better as compared to the deceased donor transplants. The donor and recipients both need the separate surgeries and the doctor follows the strict rules and tests to make sure that the donor stays safe and healthy throughout the procedure. The donor age should be between 18 and 55 years old with no liver disease. The blood group should match the recipient.
Split Liver Transplant
It involves the transplantation of a liver from a person who recently died. The liver can be given to two different patients and it can only be if one is an adult and one is a child. The liver, which is donating, is divided into two parts: one is the right part, the bigger one, which is for an adult to get. The other is the left part, the smaller one which is for a child to get. As in a living donor liver transplant, the part of the liver can grow again and they become normal in size.
There are two benefits of this procedure such as the number of transplant procedures has increased and as many donated organs as possible become successful. But there are some challenges that you have to face like the surgery is very complicated and technically difficult. And recipients can face risk and complications as compared to whole liver transplants. But still, at the end, this procedure has a good thing in that it can provide the liver to two patients at the same time. Even when there is a shortage of organs for transplant.
Auxiliary Liver Transplant
An auxiliary liver transplant is a very rare and specialised procedure in which the patient’s own liver is not fully removed. Instead, a part of a donor liver is added alongside the native organ to provide temporary support, which gives the patient’s own liver time to recover and resume its functions.
This approach is particularly useful in cases where the liver failure may be reversible, or where the underlying condition may one day benefit from the emerging treatments such as gene therapy. However, it is not appropriate for conditions such as Wilson’s disease, primary oxalosis, or tyrosinaemia, as the native liver in these cases may continue to cause harm or develop cancer. Over time, if the patient’s own liver recovers, then the donor graft may gradually shrink.
How Much Does a Liver Transplant Cost in the UK?
The cost of a liver transplant in the UK depends on many things, such as the type of liver transplant donor, hospital stay, location and complications of the surgery. The overall cost is according to the USD, is approx 80,000 to 150,000. And according to the GBP is approx 65,000 to 120,000.
Cost Breakdown of Liver Transplant Cost in the United Kingdom
Here is the breakdown of the cost of the liver transplant in the UK:
| Transplant Phase | Approx cost in USD | Approx Cost in GBP |
| Pre-Transplant Assessment | 10,000 to 14,000 | 8,000 to 10,000 |
| Organ Match | 22,000 to 27,000 | 16,000 to 20,000 |
| Transplant Surgery and ICU | 45,000 to 66,000 | 32,000 to 50,000 |
| Hospital Room and Nursing | 16,000 to 26,000 | 12,000 to 20,000 |
| Post-Transplant Medication | 10,000 to 15,000 | 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Follow-up and Diagnostics | 2,000 to 6,000 | 1,000 to 4,000 |
Note: The above cost mentioned is only an estimate and may change depending on the hospital and the patient’s condition. UK residents who are eligible for NHS treatment can get liver transplants free of cost through the National Health Service.
Factors Affecting Liver Transplant Cost in UK
The cost of a liver transplant in the UK depends on many factors such as:
- Type of Donor: There are two types of donors: deceased donors and living donors. The cost depends on the retrieval, storage, and transport of the liver to the hospital. In the living donor transplant, a healthy person donates a part of their liver and the cost is higher because the donor and the patient need the surgery and hospital care.
- Hospital: Most of the people in the UK stay in the hospital for approx 6 to 15 days after the liver transplant. If the patient is facing any complication after the surgery then they may need to stay longer in the ICU. Hospitals provide so many facilities which may also increase the cost and it also depends on the location of the hospital.
- Patient’s Overall Health: If the patient’s health is not good enough before the transplant then they need extra care and stay in the ICU before the surgery. If a patient is facing liver disease like hepatitis, liver cancer, or fat related liver disease, then they may need different treatments and medicines. The Model for End Stage Liver Disease score shows how serious the liver disease is.
- Medicines and Second Liver Transplant: After the surgery, patients will take medicines for the rest of their lives so that their body will not reject the new liver. So the type of medicines and amount affect the cost for the long term. For any reason, sometimes the new liver stops working properly or the disease may come back again. So in that case, another liver transplant may be needed, and it will increase the total treatment cost.
Cost Comparison of Liver Transplant in Other Countries
Here are some of the best countries for liver transplant according to the cost comparison:
- India: The cost of a liver transplant in India is approx INR 18 lakh to 45 lakh. According to the USD, it’s approx 22,000 to 45,000.
- South Africa: The liver transplant cost in South Africa is approx ZAR 250,000 to 500,000. And according to the USD is approx 10,000 to 30,000.
- Ghana: The cost of the liver transplant in Ghana is approx GHS 500,000 to 650,000. And according to the USD is approx 30,000 to 65,000.
- Nigeria: The cost of the liver transplant in Nigeria is approx NGN 50,000,000 to 80,000,000. And according to the USD is approx 35,000 to 65,000.
- Ethiopia: The liver transplant cost in Ethiopia is approx ETB 4,000,000 to 7,000,000. And according to the USD is approx 35,000 to 50,000.
Note: These costs are just an idea. So, you should ask your liver transplant surgeon or doctor about the overall expenses.
Success Rate of Liver Transplant in the UK
The survival rate or success rate of liver transplant in the UK is higher. According to the official NHS data report, that 90% of adult patients survive for 1 year after the surgery. Then, after 5 years of transplant, the success rate of liver transplant in the UK is 80%. At last, after 10 years of transplant there is a 60 to 70% success rate of the transplant. The UK has a high success rate of liver transplants because of its advanced technology.
Conclusion
At the end, a liver transplant is a life saving treatment for every patient with severe liver disease when the other medical options no longer work. The UK is known for its modern healthcare system, experienced surgeons, and managed organ transplant process. There are different types of live transplant surgeries that are performed according to the patient’s condition and the donor availability. For patients who are eligible under the NHS, liver transplants are usually provided free of cost. Therefore, the private treatment for international patients can be very high and may vary depending on the hospital and the complexity of the procedure. Patients should always confirm the total cost directly with the treatment centre.
Disclaimer: Liver transplant procedures, eligibility, costs, and recovery in the UK may vary depending on the hospital, patient condition, and medical requirements. Consult a qualified transplant specialist for personalized medical advice.
