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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Querycat-Part 1
Yes. Everyday sports such as tennis, golf, softball and basketball are not only fun, but also a good way to stay in shape following transplant.
If the person has developed de-compensated cirrhosis (this means that all of the liver is affected and there are no longer parts 'compensating' or making up for the damaged parts) a transplant will be needed. Not everyone will get a transplant because there are never enough donors. If someone has an alcohol problem or is still on methadone they will not get a transplant because the new liver would be unable to cope.
Your doctor will decide whether you need to go to a hospital that does liver transplants. You will meet the liver transplant team. The team is usually led by a liver transplant surgeon and includes liver specialists, nurses, and other health care professionals. The transplant team will arrange blood tests, x rays, and other tests to help make the decision about whether you need a transplant and whether a transplant can be carried out safely.
A liver transplant is a surgical procedure performed to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person. The liver may come from a deceased organ donor or from a living donor. Family members or individuals who are unrelated but make a good match may be able to donate a portion of their liver. This type of transplant is called a living transplant. Individuals who donate a portion of their liver can live healthy lives with the remaining liver.
Patients with advanced chronic liver failure can survive for a median time range of 18 months from the time of diagnosis without liver transplant. However as the disease advances they will require frequent medical admissions, some of which may be fatal.
It is advisable to undergo an evaluation as soon as you meet at least 2 of the criteria listed under absolute indications. This allows the author to list you for a suitable cadaver liver straight away. The cadaver livers are offered on first come first serve basis when the offer comes from some part of the country. While on waitlist one can explore the option of living donor transplant if any suitable relative is available.
The decision to transplant a patient's liver is made in consultation with all individuals involved in the patient's care, including the patient, referring physician, and the patient's family. The patient and family's input is vital in this decision making process; they must clearly understand the risks involved in proceeding to transplantation and the post transplant care.
unhealthy liver is the cause of numerous chronic illnesses and disorders. It is one of the most neglected and disregarding organs in our body. And yet, it is vital in the process of protecting us from the toxins we are confronted with everyday. It is also a required component in the efforts to maintain a healthy weight. For anybody who is trying to lose weight, a healthy, balanced liver is a must. Liver Cleanse, with its Advanced Enzyme Technology, will help.
Patients with alcohol related liver failure may stabilize if they stop alcohol consumption and show some clinical improvement. Some of the patients with early cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis may improve if the virus is eradicated from their system by treatment. By and large liver cirrhosis is a progressive disorder and does not reverse by medical treatment; hence liver replacement remains the only cure.
The success of liver transplant depends on the medical condition of the patient. Or good risk patients who go for the surgery early enough, the 5 year survival is 85%. Patients who have additional risk factors like kidney dysfunction, malnutrition, cancer, portal vein occlusion, previous abdominal surgery and hepatitis-C type I are bound to have lower survival rates.
It is now possible to have a successful liver transplant for 15 Lakh Rs (30000 USD), for patients who come early. With the author's effort it may be possible to lower the cost further for economically under privileged. There is an average monthly expense of Rs 10,000 per month (250 USD/pm), for medications and blood tests and this will be life long. In the long run the cost may come down by half (these figures are applicable to Indian citizens).
No hospital in India is as good as the best run hospitals in the West. To achieve such high standards will increase the cost of transplant. However the technical expertise of the doctors and nurses is comparable to that in the West. The infrastructure is also comparable. The results of liver transplant (in the author's series), is also comparable to the results of established centers.
The answer to this question depends on many factors. But, overall, 87% to 95% of adult patients at CPMC (California Pacific Medical Center) and 90% of children overall survive and are discharged from the hospital after liver transplantation.
Thomas Starzl, MD, performed the first human liver transplant at the University of Colorado in 1967, but liver transplantation was not successful until the mid-1970s. Robert Gordon, MD, one of the first directors of the liver transplant program at Emory, studied with Dr. Starzl at the University of Pittsburgh. Survival rates improved in the early 1980s with the discovery of cyclosporine, a medicine that keeps the body from rejecting the new liver.
Liver transplant procedure costs can range, but most average between $100,000 to $400,000, depending on time waiting in the hospital ICU and extent of liver disease before transplantation. Costs can also vary greatly depending on a number of factors including the patient�s health at baseline, rate of recovery, any pre-existing conditions and/or potential complications after surgery.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical person, so medical people who read this, please forgive my layman's explanation). No, but it will extend his life and greatly improve his quality of life. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multifaceted disease that primarily affects the way proteins are transmitted through the cell walls (this is a simplified explanation -- there's a lack of bicarbonate at the cell membranes, etc.).
It is likely at some point kidney transplantation will be needed, but this varies greatly to very early in life to later in life. It all depends on the rate of decline of kidney function.
The heart is a strong and muscular organ that is about the size of a fist. It is located behind the breastbone between the lungs. Deoxygenated blood flows from the heart to the lungs where it gives up wastes and is freshly oxygenated. From there the blood returns to the heart and is pumped to the rest of the body. Heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump enough blood to maintain normal body requirements.
Each organ in your body performs a vital function. Although not all organs can be transplanted, when disease or other factors result in organ failure, a transplant may be a lifesaving option for some people. organ transplant replaces a failing organ with a healthy one from a donor. Organs most often transplanted include the: Heart . Diseases that may lead to a heart transplant include coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and congenital heart defects. Lung .
Before you can be considered for an organ transplant, you will need to have medical tests to determine whether you are a good transplant candidate and to match you with a new organ. Some tests are required for all organ transplant candidates, while others are needed to monitor your chronic disease or the cause of your organ failure. In general, tests that are done for all organ transplant candidates include: A crossmatch for transplant.
Immunosuppressant medications are started immediately after surgery. Patients in our transplant program take at least one immuno-suppressing medication for the rest of their lives.
Give you and your family information on transplant surgery including how serious it is and to allow you and your family to make an informed decision about the surgery.
Feeling anxious about when the transplant will occur is common. During this difficult time you can use the following suggestions to help you deal with these stressful feelings: Share your feelings. Talk your feelings over with your family or the transplant social worker or in transplant support group. Attend a support group. It is good to share your experiences with those who have been through the same thing. Stay involved. Keep up your daily activities as best as you can.
Anyone with a long-standing (chronic) or sudden onset (acute) severe liver disease leading to liver failure needs to be considered for a liver transplant. The common diseases requiring transplant are advanced liver disease due to Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, or alcohol induced damage. The other diseases for which this is done are biliary problems like primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and biliary atresia (children), metabolic diseases, and primary liver cancer.
You should seek an appointment with Dr. Subash Gupta who will assess the need for a transplant, your fitness for it and counsel you regarding all aspects of the procedure. If a transplant is thought suitable, you will then need a suitable donor from the family.
A liver transplant is recommended for children who have serious liver dysfunction and will not be able to live without having the liver replaced. The most common liver disease in children for which transplants are done is biliary atresia. Other diseases may include Alagille's Syndrome, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, Wilson's disease, hepatitis, and hemochromatosis.
Once an organ becomes available to your child, you and your child will be immediately called to the hospital. This call can occur at any time, so you should always be prepared to go to the hospital, if needed. Once at the hospital, the child will have some more final blood work and tests to confirm the match of the organ. The child will then go to the operating room. The transplant surgery may require several hours, but will vary greatly depending on each individual case.
In adults, the most common reason for liver transplantation is cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is caused by many different types of liver injuries that destroy healthy liver cells and replace them with scar tissue. Cirrhosis can be caused by viruses such as hepatitis B and C, alcohol, autoimmune liver diseases, build-up of fat in the liver, and hereditary liver diseases. In children, the most common reason for liver transplantation is biliary atresia.
Return of the problem that made the transplant necessary in the first place is the most common problem for patients with liver transplants. Also, hepatitis C virus may damage a transplant if the patient was infected before the operation took place.
All the metabolic abnormalities are corrected by a liver transplant. Hence patients can have normal diet without restrictions soon after the transplant. Restoration of physical strength will be gradual and will take around three months to be restored fully. One can plan to return to work involving moderate physical strain by 4 months. Active sports can be resumed by six months. Education in school and college is usually commenced within 6 months after the transplant.
at 5:28 AM Posted by Unknown
Labels: Questions - Answers About Liver
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