Learn about the liver and liver transplants
How do people get a new liver that works?
A person whose liver has failed may be able to get a liver transplant to get a new liver.
What is a liver transplant?
In a liver transplant, doctors do surgery to take all or part of a healthy liver from a donor and place it into a person whose liver has failed (a recipient):
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In a living donor liver transplant, the liver comes from a donor who is still alive. Doctors take part of a healthy person’s liver to place into the recipient’s body.
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In a deceased donor liver transplant, the liver comes from a donor who has died. Doctors place the whole liver into the recipient's body. Most donated livers are from deceased donors.
This website covers living donor liver transplants.
What are the differences between a liver from a living and deceased donor?
Getting a liver from a living donor has some benefits over getting a liver from a deceased donor:
Living donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant
How long the liver lasts
Living donor liver transplant:
Living donor liver transplant
Liver lasts a similar time as deceased donor transplants, and can last longer for recipients whose liver disease is less severe.
Deceased donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant:
Liver lasts a similar time as living donor transplants, and can last longer for recipients whose liver disease is more severe because getting a whole liver may be better for these recipients.
How well the liver works
Living donor liver transplant:
Living donor liver transplant
Liver may work better, since the donor is known to be healthy, and the recipient may have waited less time for a transplant.
Deceased donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant:
Liver may not work as well, since less is known about the donor’s health, and the recipient may have waited more time for a transplant.
Waiting time for a transplant
Living donor liver transplant:
Living donor liver transplant
The transplant can happen soon after the donor passes evaluation (the tests that show the donor is healthy enough to donate).
This can shorten the waiting time by months or years.
Deceased donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant:
The average wait time ranges from less than 30 days to more than 5 years, with the average being about 11 months (for adults).
Scheduling surgery
Living donor liver transplant:
Living donor liver transplant
Surgery can be scheduled at a time that’s best for the donor and recipient.
Deceased donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant:
Surgery can’t be scheduled because the recipient doesn’t know when a liver will be available.
A liver may suddenly become available, which can be disruptive for the recipient.
Recovery from surgery for the recipient
Living donor liver transplant:
Living donor liver transplant
May be shorter
Deceased donor liver transplant
Deceased donor liver transplant:
May be longer