Transplant Center

There are a number of diseases that may lead to liver transplantation as treatment. These diseases affect patients in different ways and progress differently from patient to patient. Having one of these diseases does not necessarily mean you will need a liver transplant.

The diseases may be put into categories depending on how they affect the liver.

Cholestatic Diseases
Cholestatic diseases primarily affect the bile ducts and biliary tree within or outside the liver. Examples include primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), secondary biliary cirrhosis, and biliary atresia.

Chronic Hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis affects the liver cells and may be caused by exposure to certain virus or drugs. These include hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV); chronic drug or toxin exposure, autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, cryptogenic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis caused by drugs or alcohol are considered for transplant if they meet certain criteria for abstinence and rehabilitation.

Metabolic Diseases
Metabolic diseases are hereditary diseases and include hemochromotosis, Wilson's disease, Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease, tyrosenemia, familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy, cystic fibrosis or other metabolic disorders.

Liver Tumors
Tumors are abnormal growths of tissue that may or may not be cancerous. Patients with primary cancers of the liver that have not spread outside the liver may be considered for liver transplantation.

Symptoms of liver disease

• Progressive jaundice
• Weight loss and muscle wasting
• Dark, tea colored urine.
• White or clay colored stools.
• Fluid on the abdomen (ascites)
• Infected ascites (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis/SBP)
• Edema or swelling in the legs
• Confusion (encephalopathy)
• Tendency to bruise and bleed easily
• Vomiting blood or passing blood in the stools
• Itching (pruritis)
• Profound fatigue
• Kidney dysfunction (Hepatorenal Syndrome)
• Bone loss (osteoporosis)
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Recurrent infections of the bile ducts (cholangitis)

Changes in laboratory studies (liver function tests, clotting studies, nutritional studies etc.

During the transplant evaluation, members of the transplant team conduct a thorough assessment of the signs and symptoms of your liver disease to develop a treatment plan and answer any questions related to liver disease and transplantation.