Living donor liver transplant
A part of the liver can be removed from a living donor and transplanted into a patient with liver disease
Key points
- Part of a liver can be removed from a living donor and then transplanted
- Currently, 3 in 100 liver transplants performed in the UK are from living donors
- The majority of living donor liver transplants are in children
- There is a low risk of the living donor dying during liver surgery
How does living liver donation work?
The anatomy of the liver is such that transplant surgeons are able to remove part of it from a living person and transplant it into a patient with end-stage liver disease.
For adult donors, the larger right side (lobe) is removed for transplantation. For children, the smaller left lateral lobe is removed for transplantation.
How safe is living liver donation for donors?
Many of these procedures are performed all around the world but do carry a risk of the donor dying.
- For adult transplants requiring the larger right lobe from a living donor, the risk of the donor dying is about 1 in 200
- For child transplants requiring the smaller left lobe from a living donor, the risk of the donor dying is 1 in 1,000
How many liver transplants are from living donors?
Currently, 3 in 100 liver transplants performed in the UK are from living donors and the majority of these are for children.
Speak to your liver team about living donor liver transplantation
You can enquire about living donor liver transplantation in any of the UK’s liver transplant centres. You will be given the necessary information and options in order for you to consider and make an informed decision about living donation.
Talk about donation
Every year in the UK, thousands of people’s lives are saved or improved thanks to the generosity of 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.
