Liver Transplantation and Surgical Liver Resection.
Professor Roger Wiliams, CBE, Medical Director of the Foundation, was involved in the first liver transplant performed in the UK which took place in 1968. Since then this surgery has saved thousands of lives and given many people a second chance at a happy and healthy life. The procedure is now so successful that the current 1-year patient survival rates are approximately 85-90% and 5-year survival rates are around 65-75%. However, organ donation rates are not increasing as fast as the rate of need. Some patients with liver tumours can be treated by a different surgical procedure, namely a liver resection, in which a portion of the liver is removed with the aim of totally removing the cancer from the body and preventing its spread to other organs. However, for those needing a transplant other options which are being increasingly explored include split liver transplantation (where a single organ is divided between two recipients) and living related liver transplantation (where a donor gives a portion of their liver to a relative who is the liver patient).
The liver is a remarkable organ in that it has the ability to regenerate if part of it is removed. One limiting factor for the procedure is the extent of the liver tissue that can be removed while leaving sufficient quantity and quality of tissue behind for regeneration and continued function. If the balance is not achieved complications may arise, namely post-operative liver failure, or small-for size syndrome, where there is insufficient remaining liver tissue left for it to function and regenerate. The Foundation for Liver Research is supporting research into these and other aspects of liver transplantation and liver resections to further improve the rates of patient survival.
The liver is a remarkable organ in that it has the ability to regenerate if part of it is removed. One limiting factor for the procedure is the extent of the liver tissue that can be removed while leaving sufficient quantity and quality of tissue behind for regeneration and continued function. If the balance is not achieved complications may arise, namely post-operative liver failure, or small-for size syndrome, where there is insufficient remaining liver tissue left for it to function and regenerate. The Foundation for Liver Research is supporting research into these and other aspects of liver transplantation and liver resections to further improve the rates of patient survival.