Liver transplant in Pakistan

What is Liver transplant?
Liver transplant is an operation that involves replacing the diseased liver of a person with a healthy one from a donor. Where to get Liver transplant in pakistan, best liver transplant centers in Pakistan & the cost of liver transplant in Pakistan are the queries we have received recently  and will be addressed below

Who needs a liver transplant?

Liver transplant is needed when a patients liver disease is so advanced that its functions are insufficient for the body or there is liver failure i.e the liver completely stops working. Most common conditions in Pakistan leading to liver transplant are chronic liver disease due to viral hepatitis(C&B),metabolic liver disease, liver injury due to drugs & some autoimmune liver diseases to name a few.

Who can receive a liver transplant?

There are many people with cirrhosis and decompensated liver disease but not all are good candidates for liver transplantation. A person must be able to survive the operation and the potential post-operative complications, reliably take the medications that prevent rejection and opportunistic infections, comply with frequent clinic visits and laboratory tests, and not engage in activity that would injure the liver, such as drinking alcohol.

Some conditions though are contraindications for liver transplant:

• Severe, irreversible medical illness that limits short-term life expectancy
• Severe pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 50mmHg)
• Cancer that has spread outside of the liver
• Systemic or uncontrollable infection 

Types of Liver Transplants

Live or deceased donor liver transplant are the too options available.

Deceased donor transplant is by a person who is brain dead and has previously allowed his body organs to be donated in case of his demise.

Live Donor liver transplant involves surgery of a live donor to take a piece of his liver to be transplanted into the patient.

Outcomes of Liver transplant surgery

Overall the outcomes are very good, and curing. No other method or machine is available to artifically perform the function of liver.

There are issues related to immunosuppression and the apropriate tissue matching of the donor and recipient, that is done prior to surgery, and can improve outcomes if a good enough match is available.

In Pakistan transplants are regulated by the Human Organ Transplant Authority, that see’s every case individually and gives its clearance before any such operation can be done. Another thing to note is under the current regulations for live donor transplant the donor must be a first-degree blood relative of the patient otherwise the application for approval is rejected.

Liver Transplant centers in Pakistan

There was a time when the process of Liver transplant was an uphill and complicated task for even well to do persons. This is a very complex procedures and centers were limited most of the people used to go to China or India for their transplant.

However during the last few years several World class liver transplant centers have started the procedure in pakistan. Now patients can get liver transplant in Pakistan.

Cost of Liver transplant in Pakistan

These include both among the government and private sector, some govt centers are even doing this free of cost. Cost varies in the private sector depending upon the particular facility, ranging from 3-5 million PKR.

Below are some of the centers currently performing the liver transplant in Pakistan, for any details you can contact these facilities directly.