About Live Donor Liver Transplants
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| Pictured are the first living donor and recipient pair Johns Hopkins performed in 1998. Daniel (left) and his mother, Kathleen Reilly are both doing well today. Read about the Reillys and other donors here. |
Live donor liver transplants are an excellent option for some patients. Because the liver is the only major organ that will regenerate, both the donor and the recipient eventually regrow livers of appropriate size for their individual bodies.
The living donor operation has many benefits. Waiting time on the liver transplant list is greatly reduced, if not eliminated. Survival rates increase and we have a greater knowledge of the viability of the organ prior to transplantation. The procedure itself, however, is quite demanding for all involved and not unlike the deceased donor transplant operation, has its challenges. For that reason, we ask potential living donors to undergo medical and psychosocial testing to rule out any unnecessary risk and to work with a living donor advocate to ensure that living donor safety is protected during every phase of the process. We make comprehensive educational information available to patients and donors through the living liver donor pages on this website and individual pre-evaluation phone consultations with our living donor nurse practitioner.
For more information, please call (410) 614-2989 or 1(800) 706-1046.
Other links in the living liver donor pages:
Living Donor Journey
Medical Evaluation Work-up
Other Donor's Stories
Forms
