Auxiliary Liver Transplantation

Auxiliary Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (A-OLTX) is a procedure wherein a portion of the original liver is removed surgically, while the rest is left in its original place. This procedure gives the patient temporary support until the donor’s liver recovers after which immunosuppression is withdrawn.

The Auxiliary Partial Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (A-OLTX) Process

This procedure involves surgically removing a part of the liver of a healthy donor and attaching it to the recipient’s diseased one. The liver belonging to the donor continues to stay intact until the organ recovers. When it does, the diseased liver is removed.

Many hospitals that conduct cutting edge liver transplantation surgery perform this procedure regularly, thus making it easy for children to be recipients when required. In fact, it is also used to treat those patients with acute liver failure wherein their diseased livers are given enough time to recover.

Traditional liver transplantation calls for patients to be on immunosuppressant medications for the rest of their lives. However, A-OLTX patients need not. Once a section of the donor’s liver is attached to the patient’s failing one, the former helps to clear the patient’s system of toxins and prevent brain injury in the recovery period.

Once the patient’s original liver recovers, the donor’s liver generally withers away. Consequently, many patients are also well enough to stop taking immunosuppressant medications.

This procedure suits children very well as it helps their livers regenerate to the highest level possible. Young adults too can benefit from this procedure.

The Recovery Phase

Post-auxiliary liver transplantation, the patient is required to visit the hepatologist about twice a week for the next three months. After this period, the patient’s primary doctor might see the patient, though the hepatologist will continue to see the patient once a month for the rest of the first year after surgery.

In ideal conditions, the hepatologist and the transplant surgeon monitor the progress of the patient by taking blood exams. They also discuss the patient’s progress with the primary doctor.

After the first year after surgery, the patient’s follow-up care is initiated. Should the patient ever require emergency care, he can be quickly discharged after being given it. Once home, he or she should follow-up on his progress with the transplant doctor within a couple of days of being discharged from hospital.

Prognosis for Auxiliary Liver Transplantation Recovery

Eighty-eight per cent of all patients undergoing auxiliary liver transplantation survive the operation when checked a year later. However, this figure depends on whether the patient was at home when the surgery took place or in a hospital’s intensive care unit.

Five years after surgery, the survival rate falls to 75%. However, in recent times, these survival rates have been improving due to the use of better-quality immunosuppressive medications and surgeons adeptness to perform this procedure. Another factor that contributes to better surgery outcomes is the patient’s keenness to adhere to the post-transplantation schedule set out for him.

If a patient develops fever within the first year of surgery, he or she is admitted to the hospital. Those who cannot take the prescribed immunosuppressive medicines due to vomiting should also be admitted to the hospital.

Those patients who suffer from fever after completing a year of surgery and who are no longer taking immunosuppression medication can be seen as outpatients on a case-to-case basis.

Possible Complications Post-Surgery

Certain problems may arise after surgery, which would help patients to be prepared with. These are:

• Infected T-tube site
• Dislodged T-tube
• Leaking bile
• Biliary stenosis
• Infections such as viruses like Herpes, Cytomegalovirus, fungal and bacterial
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

Self-Care at Home

Self-care at home involves attention in various aspects of the patient’s life, such as:

Exercise and mobility

Home care after this surgery involves the basic building up of endurance to perform small tasks of daily life. Patients may need help with walking and care should be taken so that their lungs are kept healthy and they do not contract pneumonia.

Diet

Diet may begin with ice chips, then he can progress to clear liquids and lastly to solids. Post-recovery, patients should eat well-balanced meals, and after three to six months of self-care at home, the patient can consider getting back to work, if it is approved by his primary transplant doctor.

Increasing immunity

For better survival of the liver and to prevent his body from rejecting the new one, the patient must continue to take medications lifelong. This will raise his immunity level and keep him free of infections.

WHY Rela Hospital

Advantages/Expertise

Though this isn’t a new phenomenon in liver transplantation surgery, yet innovations in the past three decades have made it more focused and cutting edge in approach. This has led to great auxiliary liver transplant success, an experience you will face when you come to the Dr. Rela Hospital, Chrompet, Chennai, India.

Known for its high success rate in this niche area, this medical centre offers you its best team of surgeons and support staff for the most complicated cases in liver transplantation. With the help of modern diagnostic methods, the team here can auxiliary liver transplant indications in time before the case can become complicated.

Over the years, this centre’s has found success in so many cases of auxiliary liver transplantation that it is now better known as the place to go to for auxiliary liver transplantation in Chennai.

Highly acclaimed for its proficiency in this field, it compares well with specialist hospitals who are also known for successfully performing auxiliary liver transplant surgery in India.

To know more about this surgery or to meet with our specialists, please make an appointment on +91 9384681770