Liver Transplant | Gigi Lilly WMHSP

Everybody hope that their loved ones live healthy and happy lives free of serious medical problems. However, a significant number of people require specialized medical care, particularly for the treatment of organ failure every year. This fact is even more devastating in children. All parents hope that their children have healthy and happy childhoods. Unfortunately, a significant number of children are diagnosed with chronic organ failure every year.

The most frequently transplanted organs worldwide are kidneys, livers, and hearts. However, kidneys account for the majority of organ transplantations with 65 percent of transplantations in 2022 involving kidneys. That year, around 24 percent of transplants were for livers and just six percent were for hearts. The rate of kidney transplants worldwide has increased over the past few years reaching 17.1 transplants per million population in 2022, compared to a rate of 11.1 per million population in 2012. In 2022, there were a total of 102,090 kidney transplants worldwide.

What is the average cost of a liver transplant?

In 2020, a liver transplant cost around $878,400 for procurement, procedure, and aftercare in USA. Insurance can often cover much of the cost, and some organizations can provide financial aid, however even the expression 'cover much of the cost' is still quite high and hard to afford for many those who needs aliver transplant surgery.

The average cost of a liver transplant in Turkey ranges from $50,000 to $80,000. This cost typically includes pre-operative tests, the transplant surgery, post-operative care, and medication.

Turkey is considered one of the top medical destinations globally, offering competitive prices for liver transplants. Compared to countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the cost of liver transplant in Turkey is approximately one-third of the total costs in those countries.

Because of the delicate nature of the case, hospital technology, hygienic practices, and national regulations are crucial. For this reason, not only because Turkey offers affordable organ transplant opportunity, Turkey has emerged as a global leader in organ transplantation in the last ten years also because of providing the newest technologies along with first-rate facilities that have received international accreditation and top-notch service that makes it the most cost-effective yet high-quality place, which make it the best choice for our foreign patients.

You can’t live without a working liver. If your liver stops working correctly, you may need a transplant.

A liver transplant may be advised if you have end-stage liver disease (chronic liver failure). This is a serious, life-threatening liver disease. It can be caused by several liver conditions.

Cirrhosis is a common cause of end-stage liver disease. It's a chronic liver disease. It happens when healthy liver tissue is replaced with scar tissue. This stops the liver from working correctly.

Other diseases that may lead to end-stage liver disease or other reasons for liver transplant include:

Acute hepatic necrosis. This is when tissue in the liver dies. Possible reasons include acute infections and reactions to medicine, illegal drugs, or toxins. For instance, an overdose of acetaminophen.

Biliary atresia. A rare disease of the liver and bile ducts that occurs in newborns.

Viral hepatitis. Hepatitis B or C are common causes.

Alcoholic hepatitis. This results from long-term alcohol use.

NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) or NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis). With NAFLD, too much fat builds up in the liver and damages it. This isn't caused by alcohol use. NASH is a form of NAFLD that includes fat buildup, hepatitis, and liver cell damage.

Bile duct cancer. Transplant may be an option for some people in very specific circumstances.

Metabolic diseases. Disorders that change the chemical activity in cells affected by the liver.

Cancer of the liver. This includes primary liver cancer, which is when tumors start in the liver. Having cirrhosis puts you at risk of liver cancer.

Autoimmune hepatitis. A redness or swelling (inflammation) of the liver. It happens when your body’s disease-fighting system (immune system) attacks your liver.

What is the success rate of liver transplants in Turkey?

Turkey has a successful track record in liver transplantation. From 2002 to 2013, close to 7,000 liver transplants were performed in Turkey, with an 83% success rate.

How long does the transfer take?

A liver transplant is a complex operation that can take 12 hours or longer.

How many days do you stay in the hospital after a liver transplant?

Patients who’ve received a liver transplant typically spend five to 10 days in the hospital, and full recovery takes several months.

Who can't be a liver donor?

Personal Choice: You must want to donate part of your liver willingly. It’s illegal for anyone to force you to do it, and you have the right to back out at any time.
Age: Most transplant centers prefer donors between 18 and 60 years old. Older donors tend to have more complications, and children/teens are considered too young to give proper consent.
Blood Type Compatibility: While you don’t need the exact blood type as the recipient, you must be “compatible.” For example:
Type O donors are universal donors and can donate to anyone (though Type O recipients can only receive organs from other Type O individuals).
Type A donors can donate to Type A and Type AB recipients.
Type B donors can donate to other Type B and Type AB recipients.
Type AB donors can donate to those with the same blood type.
Family Members and Friends: If you’re a blood relative, your blood type is more likely to match the recipient. Some centers allow donations to strangers on the transplant waiting list.
Health: You must be in better-than-good physical health. Donors undergo extensive medical tests and procedures to ensure their suitability.
Mental Health: You must be mentally healthy and willing to go through the process.
Substance Use: You cannot be a donor if you have a substance use disorder, alcohol addiction, or heavy alcohol consumption..
Other Disqualifications:
Aged 65 years or older with other serious illnesses.
Severe organ disease due to diabetes.
Severe obesity.
Severe and active liver disease (such as hepatitis B).
Currently using alcohol or drugs.
Severe or uncontrollable infection (e.g., HIV)

What is a robotic liver transplant?

A South Korean team reported the first robotic liver transplant in the world in 2021. That surgery involved transplanting half a liver from a living donor instead of the whole organ, and the surgery was partially robotic; the diseased liver was removed laparoscopically and the new liver implanted robotically.

Role of Robots in Liver Surgery

Robotic liver surgery allows the surgeon to perform advanced procedures with improved precision and a three-dimensional view of the surgical site. Moreover, it is an effective alternative to laparoscopic surgery for malignant and benign liver lesions. It overcomes some of the limitations of both laparoscopic and open surgery. The advantages of robotic liver surgery over laparoscopic surgery include:

Improved optic visualisation
Better operative agility
Ease of dissection and suturing

There are several advantages of robotic liver surgeries over traditional techniques. These advantages include:

Less pain and blood loss
Fewer complications, including a lower chance of surgical site infections
Quick recovery
Less noticeable scars
Shorter hospital stay

However, robotic surgery is not an ideal option for everyone. You can talk to your healthcare provider to discuss the benefits and risks of the procedure.

What happens after a liver transplant?

In the hospital

After the surgery you may be taken to the recovery room for a few hours before being taken to the intensive care unit (ICU). You'll be closely watched in the ICU for several days.

You'll be hooked up to monitors. They'll show your heartbeat, blood pressure, other pressure readings, breathing rate, and oxygen level. You'll need to stay in the hospital for 1 to 2 weeks or longer.

You'll most likely have a tube in your throat. This is so you can breathe with the help of a ventilator until you can breathe on your own. You may need the breathing tube for a few hours or a few days, depending on your situation.

You may have a thin plastic tube inserted through your nose into your stomach to remove air that you swallow. The tube will be taken out when your bowels start working normally again. You won’t be able to eat or drink until the tube is removed.

Blood samples will be taken often to check your new liver. They'll also check that your kidneys, lungs, and circulatory system are all working.

You may have IV drips to help your blood pressure and heart and to control any problems with bleeding. As your condition gets better, these drips will be slowly decreased and turned off. You may receive antibiotics.

Once the breathing and stomach tubes have been removed and you're stable, you may start to drink liquids. You may slowly begin to eat solid foods as directed.

Your antirejection medicines will be closely watched to be sure you're getting the right dose and the right mix of medicines.

When your provider feels you're ready, you'll be moved from the ICU to a private room. You'll slowly be able to move about more as you get out of bed and walk around for longer periods of time. You'll slowly be able to eat more solid foods.

Your transplant team will teach you how to take care of yourself when you go home.

At home

Once you're home, you must keep the surgical area clean and dry. Your healthcare provider will give you specific bathing instructions. Any stitches or surgical staples will be removed at a follow-up office visit, if they weren't removed before leaving the hospital.

You shouldn't drive until your provider tells you to. You may have other limits on your activity.

Call your provider if you have any of the following:

Fever. This may be a sign of rejection or infection.
Redness, swelling, or bleeding or other drainage from the incision site
More pain around the incision site. This may be a sign of infection or rejection.
Vomiting or diarrhea
Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

Your provider may give you other instructions, depending on your situation.

What is done to prevent rejection?

You must take medicines for the rest of your life to help the transplanted liver survive in your body. These medicines are called antirejection medicines (immunosuppressive medicines). They weaken your immune system’s response.

Each person may react differently to medicines. And each transplant team has preferences for different medicines.

New antirejection medicines are always being made and approved. Your provider will create a medicine treatment plan that's right for you. In most cases, you'll take a few antirejection medicines at first. The doses may change often, depending on how you respond to them.

Your provider will watch you closely and order blood work to watch for rejection. If there's a concern about rejection, you'll likely have a liver biopsy.

Antirejection medicines weaken the immune system. So people who have a transplant are at a higher risk for infections. Some of the infections you'll be at greater risk for include:

Oral yeast infection (thrush)
Herpes
Respiratory viruses

For the first few months after your surgery, stay away from crowds or anyone who has an infection.

Each person may have different symptoms of rejection. Some common symptoms of rejection include:

Fever
Jaundice
Dark-colored urine
Itching
Swollen or sore belly
Severe tiredness (fatigue)
Being easily annoyed
Headache
Upset stomach

The Gigi Lilly transplant unit has extensive experience in the Turkey region, working on more than 300 solid organ transplants every year. We have formed strong alliances with more than 10 transplant hospitals, meticulously monitoring the required surgeons and guaranteeing the hiring of top-notch personnel. We take pride in our current success results, which are a testament to our commitment to excellence. We carefully evaluate our relationships to ensure they align with our rigorous standards.

There are several reasons why our international patients choose us:

We have established strong connections with all the organ transfer organizations in Turkey, allowing us to effectively operate throughout the entire country.
We provide you with the chance to access reduced rates. Quick solution orriented team, always priotize organ translplant cases,if target hospital schedule is full for our patient, we quickly find other affordable options that fit within their budget and our quality standards. We provide access to a wide range of hospitals throughout Turkey, including those that have a strong online presence and advertise extensively and hundreds of more available for our international patients. This, gives our patients the opportunity to reach many place at once, without any stress and to be able to access the service at a more budget-friendly rates. In addition, we make sure to assess this opportunity for you whenever there is a chance to negotiate.
Organ transfer topics are of utmost importance in our organization, considered a Class 1 degree.
Your dedicated patient counselor is always available to assist the patient and their family. He/she is available to assist you 24/7 and is dedicated to managing your account.
In contrast to many other medical procedures, organ transplantation necessitates that our patients stay in the country for a period of around 45 to 60 days. Throughout this period, our team offers comprehensive assistance in arranging accommodations, whether it be hotels or home rentals, to guarantee a smooth and top-notch recovery experience that is tailored to their treatment needs.
Throughout the recovery period, a meticulous approach is taken to ensure smooth logistics and minimize any potential disruptions. This includes considerations for transportation convenience, traffic management, and environmental impact, both during post-operative check-ups and ongoing treatments.
With our meticulous planning, you can rest assured that every aspect of your treatment and travel is taken care of. We understand the importance of budgeting, which is why we provide you with the opportunity to know and prepare for your expenses in advance. We make sure to prevent any mistakes or gaps in planning that may arise from a limited understanding of the local market. We take full responsibility for ensuring that everything you rely on works flawlessly and meets your specific requirements.