Deceased donor liver transplant
Nearly 97 in 100 livers transplanted in the UK come from deceased donors
Key points
- This is the most common type of liver donation, accounting for 97 in 100 UK liver transplants
- Livers are donated by deceased donors either after brain or circulatory death
- You will need to go on the national transplant waiting list to receive a liver from a deceased donor
- The transplant list is not a queuing system
Types of deceased donor
Livers are donated by deceased donors either after brain or circulatory death.
Donation after Brain Death (DBD) donors
Approximately 75 out of 100 of livers donated by deceased donors are from donors who have been declared dead through brain testing. This is commonly referred to as donation after brain death (DBD).
Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) donors
Approximately 25 out of 100 of livers donated by deceased donors are from donors whose hearts have stopped beating. This is referred to as donation after circulatory death (DCD).
This is a newer process of liver transplantation. It has significantly increased the number of organs available for transplantation, which has helped to prevent many patients dying on the waiting list. However, it may carry more risk.
Some donated livers are placed on a machine to pump blood through them before a transplant. This is known as machine perfusion.
Talk about donation
Every year in the UK, thousands of people’s lives are saved or improved thanks to living and deceased donors. But, sadly, there are still lots of patients we can’t treat because we don’t have enough organs to transplant. We particularly need organs donated from people who are Black, Asian, or belong to a minority ethic group.
Talking about donation is crucial to raising awareness.
