Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT)
In case of LDLT only a half of the liver of the donor is used for transplant. This does not affect the donor’s health as our liver has the tendency to regenerate or to regrow. So the new liver grows back and regains its complete functionality within two to three weeks of the transplant in both the donor and the recipient. A living donor transplant surgery duration is slightly longer as compared to the cadaveric transplant. The hospital stay of the donor is about a week to 10 days and is advised two-three weeks rest at home.
The reality is liver transplant is a safe procedure both for the donor and the recipient.
Cadaveric/Deceased Donor Liver Transplant (DDLT)
Organ donation is still in its infancy stage in India owing to lack of awareness and myths surrounding it.
DDLT procedure involves transfer of complete liver from the deceased donor who is brain dead to the patient. The liver has to be removed from the body within eight hours of the person’s death. After the liver retrieval from the deceased donor, the liver can safely be preserved in special preservative solutions for up to 12-15 hours before the transplant surgery.
Cadaveric livers are not easily available and there is a long waiting list may be up to few months. The priority recipient is decided on the basis of the severity of the disease and also first-come first served.