Living Donor Liver Transplant Program

A living donor liver transplant is an innovative surgical procedure where a portion of a healthy liver from a living person replaces a diseased liver. This remarkable process is possible because of the liver's unique ability to regenerate, allowing both the donor's and recipient's partial livers to grow back to full size. Choosing this path offers significant, life-affirming advantages for patients in need, and offers several benefits:

Shorter wait times: Receiving a liver from a living donor dramatically reduces the time spent on the transplant waiting list. This allows the transplant to be scheduled sooner, often before the recipient's health declines further, which can decrease the risk of complications while waiting. Even patients with lower MELD (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) scores can benefit from this accelerated timeline, getting the care they need faster.

Faster recovery: Patients who receive a liver from a living donor often experience a smoother, quicker recovery. Post-surgery, these recipients typically have shorter hospital stays and a reduced need for blood transfusions or dialysis compared to those who receive a deceased donor organ.

Improved outcomes: Living donor liver transplants are associated with excellent long-term success. National data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network shows that recipients of living donor livers have better long-term survival rates than recipients of deceased donor livers. This improved outlook gives patients a powerful advantage on their journey back to health.

The decision to become a living liver donor is a profound act of generosity. A donor can be a family member, a friend or even a stranger who feels called to give the gift of life. A biological relationship with the recipient is not a requirement for donation.

At the Ochsner Transplant Institute, we recognize that every donor's journey is unique. Our dedicated team is committed to providing personalized guidance and unwavering support throughout the entire process. We stand with you at every step, ensuring you have the information and care needed to make this life-changing decision with confidence. By choosing to become a donor, you offer a priceless gift, restoring health and hope to someone in need.

To begin the process of becoming a living liver donor, complete the Living Liver Donor Contact Form.

The safety and well-being of our living donors are our highest priorities. To ensure the best possible outcomes for both the donor and the recipient, we have established a comprehensive set of requirements. A thorough evaluation process confirms that each candidate is suitable for donation.

To be considered as a living liver donor, you must:

• Be between the ages of 18 and 50
• Be in good physical and mental health
• Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 32 or less. Our team can work with otherwise healthy candidates who have a BMI over 32 to help them meet this requirement.
• Have a compatible blood type with the recipient.

Health and lifestyle requirements:

• No history of liver disease, such as cirrhosis or hepatitis
• You must be free from significant diseases of other major organs, including the heart, lungs or kidneys
• Must not have conditions such as pulmonary hypertension, HIV or active cancers
• Not engage in active, ongoing substance or drug use

Every potential donor must have a selfless and genuine desire to help another person. Our team is here to ensure you feel supported and informed as you consider this life-changing gift.

Deciding to become a living liver donor is a significant step, and we are committed to providing unwavering support throughout your journey. The Ochsner Transplant Institute has designed a clear process to ensure your safety, well-being and confidence at every stage. We encourage you to discuss this decision with your primary care physician, family and friends. Our team is here to guide you from your first inquiry to your full recovery.

If you are approved as a living donor, you will work with the transplant team to schedule a date for your transplant. Once the surgery is scheduled, you and your recipient will come for an appointment the day before surgery. You and your recipient will meet in the same room, at the same time, along with your family or loved ones. This appointment will last about one to two hours.

Step 1: The initial inquiry and interview

Your journey begins when you reach out to us. You can start the process by filling out our online living donor liver form or by contacting our team directly.

1. Contact us: Fill out the Living liver donor contact form, call us at 504-842-3925, or email LivingLiverTrans@ochsner.org.
2. Confidential interview: A member of our team will contact you for a phone interview to gather your medical history and answer preliminary questions. All information you provide is kept strictly confidential and is reviewed by our experts to determine if you can proceed to the next step, avoiding any unnecessary testing.

Step 2: The comprehensive evaluation

If you are a potential candidate, you will undergo a thorough evaluation to confirm your suitability as a donor. This multi-faceted assessment is designed to protect your health and ensure the highest standards of safety. The evaluation includes:

1. Medical and surgical consultations: You will meet with our expert hepatologists, surgeons and internal medicine physicians.
2. Psychosocial evaluation: A comprehensive psychological assessment ensures you are mentally and emotionally prepared for the donation process.
3. Imaging and health screenings: We will conduct CT scans, MRIs and age-appropriate cancer screenings (e.g., mammogram, colonoscopy) to get a complete picture of your health and liver anatomy.
4. Meeting with your advocate: You will be introduced to your independent living donor advocate, who is a separate and dedicated resource for you.

Your living donor advocate

To ensure your interests are always at the forefront, we assign every potential donor an independent living donor advocate. This advocate acts solely on your behalf and is a critical part of your support system. They will:

• Ensure you fully understand the donation process, its risks, and its benefits.
• Answer all your questions with complete transparency.
• Voice any concerns you may have to the transplant team.
• Confirm your decision to donate is voluntary and well-informed.

Step 3: Preparing for surgery

Once you are approved as a donor, our team will coordinate with you and the recipient to schedule the surgery. Extensive preparation goes into planning every detail.

The day before the surgery, you and your recipient will have a final joint appointment with the transplant surgeon. This one- to two-hour meeting is an opportunity to review the surgical process, sign consent forms, receive pre-operative instructions and ask any last-minute questions.

Financial considerations

We are dedicated to ensuring that no eligible donor faces financial barriers when considering the gift of life. The recipient’s insurance covers all medical costs associated with the donation, including your comprehensive evaluation, the surgery itself, your hospital stay, and follow-up medical care during the first month after surgery.

While most medical expenses are fully covered, costs related to travel and time off from work are not included in insurance coverage. To address this, financial assistance programs are available for eligible donors. The National Living Donor Assistance Center, offers support for travel, lodging, meals and incidental expenses incurred during evaluation, hospitalization and follow-up care within 90 days of the procedure. 

Living donor liver surgery is a testament to modern medical innovation, executed with precision by our world-class surgical team. The procedure is tailored to the specific needs of the recipient, demonstrating our commitment to personalized care.

Tailoring the surgery to the recipient

The surgical approach differs depending on whether the recipient is an adult or a child.

• Donation to an adult: This typically involves removing a portion of the larger right lobe of the donor's liver.
• Donation to a child: For a pediatric recipient, surgeons remove the smaller left lobe of the donor's liver.

What to expect during the surgery

The living donor operation is a carefully orchestrated procedure that lasts approximately five to seven hours and is performed under general anesthesia. Our surgeons make an abdominal incision, the size of which is kept to a minimum, to access the liver. They then isolate the major blood vessels and meticulously divide the liver tissue. Once the designated portion is separated and removed, it is immediately transferred to the recipient's operating room for transplantation. The surgical team then ensures there is no bleeding before closing the incision with dissolving sutures and skin glue.

Incision care and recovery

Proper care of your incision site is vital for healing and minimizing scarring. Your care team will provide detailed instructions to follow after you leave the hospital. To promote healing and prevent complications like a hernia, it is important to limit strenuous activity and avoid lifting heavy objects during your recovery period.

At Ochsner Health, our commitment to our living donors extends far beyond the operating room. We provide a supportive and structured recovery environment, ensuring you and your family are cared for at every step. Our team closely monitors your progress, guiding you on your path back to full health.

Your hospital stay

Your recovery begins with a hospital stay of approximately four to seven days.

• Initial monitoring: The first night after surgery is spent in our Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), where our team provides specialized, around-the-clock observation.
• Transplant step-down unit: You will then move to our dedicated transplant step-down unit. Here, our nurses, who specialize in caring for transplant donors and recipients, will manage your care.
• Criteria for discharge: We clear you to return home once your pain is managed with oral medication, you can walk with minimal assistance, and you are tolerating a regular diet.

The path to recovery

Full recovery from living liver donation typically takes three to six weeks, though this timeline varies for each individual. During this period, you will return for routine follow-up visits. Our physicians will carefully assess your health, monitor your healing and let you know when it is safe to resume all your normal activities.

Benefits of a living donor liver transplant

Choosing a living donor transplant offers decisive advantages that can lead to superior results.

• Shorter wait times: Having a living donor allows a transplant to be scheduled proactively, often before the recipient's health deteriorates further. This reduces the risk of life-threatening complications that can occur while on the deceased donor waiting list.
• Faster recovery for recipients: Patients who receive a liver from a living donor often experience shorter hospital stays and have a lower likelihood of needing blood transfusions or dialysis after surgery.
• Improved long-term outcomes: Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network shows that recipients of living donor livers have better long-term survival rates compared to those who receive deceased donor organs.

Understanding the risks

As with any major surgery, living liver donation involves potential risks. Our team is committed to donor safety and will discuss all possible complications with you in detail.

For the donor:

• Potential risks, while uncommon, include complications such as bile duct leakage, bleeding, blood clots, hernia, infection or nausea. Research has shown that there is little long-term risk or health impact for living liver donors. Death from the procedure is extremely rare but has occurred in a few cases worldwide.

For the recipient:

• The risks for recipients are similar to those of a deceased donor transplant and may include bleeding, blood clots, infection or rejection of the donated liver. However, because the organ comes from a healthy living donor and the surgery is scheduled, the rate of serious complications is often lower.

Ochsner Children’s Hospital is home to the largest, most comprehensive pediatric liver transplant program in the region. Pediatric living donor liver transplants provide children with renewed hope by dramatically reducing wait times and ensuring a healthy, immediately functioning liver. 

During this surgery, a portion of a healthy adult’s liver is transplanted into a child - both livers regenerate and regain full function within months. Living donor transplants can be scheduled sooner, often before a child’s health declines further, resulting in better outcomes and faster recoveries. Our dedicated pediatric transplant team brings advanced expertise and compassionate support to every family, helping children return to health and activity as quickly as possible.

Non-directed living donation represents one of the most selfless acts one person can perform for another. It occurs when an individual chooses to donate a portion of their liver to a stranger, someone they do not know and may never meet. This profound gift of life is driven by a simple, powerful desire to help someone in critical need.

These nondirected donations are vital, offering a chance at life for patients who may not have a compatible living donor among family or friends. At Ochsner Health, we are dedicated to ensuring that every patient in need of a liver transplant has the opportunity to find hope, even when a personal match is not available. 

A living donor liver transplant is a life-saving procedure where a portion of a healthy liver from a living person is surgically removed and transplanted into a recipient. The liver has a unique ability to regenerate, allowing both the donor's remaining liver and the transplanted portion to grow back to full size and function within a few months. This innovative approach significantly reduces wait times for patients in need of a transplant and often leads to better long-term outcomes.

Living donors are courageous individuals who make a selfless choice to give the gift of life. To be considered as a donor at Ochsner Health, a person must meet several key criteria designed to ensure their safety and a successful outcome for the recipient.

Living donation offers powerful advantages for recipients. With a critical shortage of deceased donor organs, a living donor provides a faster path to transplant, allowing the surgery to be scheduled before the recipient's health declines further. Livers from living donors typically begin to function immediately, leading to quicker recovery times, shorter hospital stays, and a lower chance of complications after surgery.