A liver transplant is the answer of improved health for the many individuals with end-stage liver disease and liver failure. This type of transplant is expensive and very detailed. A surgery for transplanting a liver is complicated and lengthy. The time to complete the surgical process is between four and eighteen hours. Patients who have a liver transplant will be undergoing a major procedure that presents risks. The recipients of a liver transplant have a 58% chance of survival at fifteen years from the operation. Transplant failure occurs in 10-15% of all transplants.

Liver donations from a living donor has become a transplant option in the past few years. Living donor liver transplant (LDLT) involves the removal of a portion of the liver from a living person. A transplant for an adult involves the removal of 55-70% of the liver from a living donor. The donor liver will regenerate itself to full function within a few weeks. The procedure does present risks to the living donor. Blood clots and biliary issues can occur but are treatable. The risk of death to a donor related to the procedure is very small, up to 1%.

Recipients of a liver from a living donor can expect their transplanted liver to grow to 85% of its original size. The surgery will be extensive and patients can expect to spend up to three weeks in the hospital after the procedure. Donor recipients will take many types of medications after the surgery. These medicines will include drugs that prevent the immune system from attacking the new organ. Individuals who receive a liver from a living donor have a higher rate of survival. A recipient of a living donor transplant can expect a 78% chance of survival five years from the date of their organ donation procedure.

The United States Congress passed the National Organ Transplant act in 1984. The act brought with it the establishment of an Organ Procurement and Transplant Network. This network is a system designed to match potential donor recipients with available organs. The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) provides a fair approach to the distribution of donor organs and tissue. This advanced system is operated by the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization.

The UNOS is staffed 24 hours a day in order to maintain the extensive computer network that contains the information of individuals who are waiting for an organ transplant. The system identifies the potential recipients location, type of organ needed for transplant, and the medical information that indicates a compatible match. The database is a constantly fluid system that is updated as new names are added to the list. Information changes are made when a patient’s status changes. When organs become available, the database is used to coordinate the match of available organs to a transplant recipient.

Matching an available organ to its recipient is not the simple process of selecting the next name on the list. The organ donor’s blood type and genetic makeup will be the first identifier of potential recipients. The location of a donor recipient in relation to the location of the organ being donated is considered in the selection process. Approximately 80% of donated organs are given to recipients who live in a nearby geographical area. There are several factors that support a local patient receiving an organ donation. These factors include a higher success rate with the transplant and the reduction of issues related to transplanting the organ.

The organ donation process is both emotional and complicated. It is marked by sorrow for one family and hope for another. The oversight performed by the UNOS ensures that the match of donor an recipient will provide the best possible results.

When discussing a medical procedure that involves a transplant, it is important to understand that there are several different types of transplants. The type of transplant used in a procedure is dependent upon a patient’s need.

When a patient will be undergoing a procedure that involves an autograft or auto transplant it means that they will be receiving tissue from another part of their own body. An example of this procedure would involve a burn patient who has skin grafts removed from their legs to be grafted on the burn area.

An allograft is a procedure that involves the transplant of organ or tissue from one individual to another. This type of transplant can involve an organ donor that is related or not related to the patient and in some cases may be an organ or tissue from a cadaver. Cadaver tissue may be used in transplant surgeries involving ligament replacement.

A transplant between identical twins presents the most success. This type of transplant is called an isograft. Transplants between individuals who are genetically identical are never rejected. The direct opposite of an isograft transplant would be the xenograft transplant. A xenograft involves the transplant of tissue from one species to another. An example would involve the transplant of tissue from a baboon to a human.

While whole organ transplant procedures are the preferred process, there are times when a split transplant is performed. A split transplant involves splitting an organ between two recipients. There are also incidents of a domino transplant being performed. This type of transplant involves transplanting an organ in an individual and using the diseased organ from that individual for another transplant patient. Typical cases for this type of process would involve an elderly patient receiving the diseased organ. The diseased organ offers an extension of life to an individual who may never receive a transplant otherwise.

End-Stage pulmonary disease requires a lung transplant to ensure a higher survival rate for the individual who has this lung disease. Conditions that may eliminate the possibility of receiving a lung transplant include: chronic disease not associated with the lung condition, infections, cancer, and age. Potential transplant recipients are placed on a waiting list based on a number of criteria.

There are several types of lung transplants. A lobe transplant involves the partial removal of lung from a living donor. Generally two living donors are used in order to replace a single lung in the recipient. A single lung transplant is a result of donation of one whole healthy lung from a brain dead donor. Double lung transplants are preformed when a patient requires both of their lungs replaced. A patient with both cardiac and pulmonary disease may require the transplant of both a heart and lung. The heart-lung transplant involves the transplant of organs from one or more donors.

The single lung transplant surgery lasts between four to eight hours. A double lung transplant will require a six to twelve hour surgical procedure. Most lung transplant patient’s can expect a hospital stay of up to 21 day after their operation. The post surgical recover period is usually around six months. During the first three months after surgery, a lung transplant patient will be asked to say in close proximity to the medical center. Driving privileges will not be given to the patient until three months after the operation. The survival rate for individuals who have received a lung transplant are approximately 80% one year after the transplant surgery. Five years after the procedure the survival rate drops to around 50%. At ten years post surgery there is only a 28% survival rate. The survival rates for patient’s who undergo a heart-lung transplant are slightly less than those who receive a lung transplant only.

The cost of organ transplants are rarely covered by one source of funding. It may be possible to pay for the majority of cost associated with the transplant procedure through insurance coverage and pursue other options for the additional costs associated with the transplant process. The coverage of private insurance policies are dependent on the type of insurance an individual carries. Potential transplant candidates will need to contact their insurance provider to discuss the specifics of their individual plan. Most insurance companies pay 80% of hospital related charges. The remaining 20% is the responsibility of the patient. There is also a possibility that an individual insurance plan may have a cap on the amount of insurance that must be paid over the course of a lifetime. It will be important for a transplant candidate to investigate the financial obligations of their insurance provider.

The approximate costs related to major organ transplants include: $650,000 for a heart transplant, $500,000 for a liver transplant, $400,000 for a lung transplant, and $250,000 for a kidney transplant. The costs identified are only related to the hospital and medical personnel fees. Tests preformed prior to the transplant and follow up treatments related to the procedure will add more to the final cost. In addition, the transplant patient can expect to have the lifetime cost of the prescription medications necessary to support their organ transplant.

Transplant candidates that are covered by Medicare or Social Security benefits will need to contact these agencies to determine the coverage of organ transplant costs. The Veterans Administration will provide assistance for transplant costs through veteran benefits.

When transplant patients are unable to pay for the uncovered costs associated with an organ transplant, there are other avenues to pursue. Charitable organizations should be approached regarding any financial assistance they can offer. Fund raising activities can also provide aid. Transplant candidates need to research every financial avenue and create a funding plan for their procedure.

A transplant involving the eyes is called a cornea transplant. This type of transplant involves the removal of a damaged or diseased cornea and replacing it with a donor cornea in whole or in part. The cornea consists of the pupil, iris, and anterior chamber of the eye. A transplant donor will be checked for any health issues that would impact the procedure or the health of the recipient. The recipient of a corneal transplant will also undergo tests that determine if they are eligible for a cornea transplant.

Corneal transplants are preformed for a variety of reasons. The most common is to improve the eyesight of the individual receiving the transplant. Other reasons include therapeutic and cosmetic issues related to the eye. A patient and their eye doctor will meet and discuss the specifics of the procedure well before the transplant operation is preformed. Once the patient makes the decision to proceed with the operation, the attending opthamologist will schedule the necessary physical examinations and tests. After the patient is determined to be an acceptable candidate for a corneal transplant they will be placed on a list to await the cornea donation.

When a cornea becomes available for transplant, the recipient will be called to the hospital for the procedure. A brief physical is preformed on the patient and they are taken to surgery. The transplant operation is preformed by an opthamologist who specializes in eye surgery and attending medical staff. The procedure is an outpatient surgery and the patient can expect to return home after the required post surgery recovery period. Complications can occur which may require an overnight stay in the hospital. Post surgery medications will include antibiotics, steroids, and pain medication. The success rate of corneal surgery varies but it is important to note that this is one of the most successful types of transplant surgeries.