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Liver Transplant Complications

As the name suggests, a liver transplant is an operation that is done to replace--or "transplant"--a diseased liver with a healthy one from another human. The liver transplant can involve a whole liver or only a section of one. Diseased livers can develop with end-stage liver failure that is uncontrollable via other methods and also for some people who have liver cancer. The liver can fail quickly, within weeks (acute liver failure) or gradually, over months or years (calchronic liver failure). A liver transplant is a serious operation, and there are several possible liver transplant complications.

  1. Blood Complications

    • Bleeding is one of the potential liver transplant complications. It can occur because the new liver has not had sufficient time to create enough blood clotting proteins. It is common for liver transplant patients to undergo a blood transfusion at the same time as their transplant surgery. Major bleeding may need to be controlled with a second surgery within one to two days.

      It is also possible for the major blood vessels of the liver to clot off or become blocked. From this, sudden liver failure can occur, which would warrant a second liver transplant.

      Another possible complication is a blood clot. Blood clots can be prevented through active leg movements, special leg compression stockings or injections of blood thinners into the legs.

    Liver Rejection

    • Liver rejection is one of the possible liver transplant complications The immune system works to destroy foreign substances of the body but cannot determine the difference between the new liver because it is considered "foreign", and unwanted invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. It is possible for the immune system to attack the new liver and "reject" it. It is common for many liver transplant recipients to have some type of liver rejection while still recovering in the hospital. Doctors prescribe anti-rejection drugs to help prevent this complication.

    Anti-Rejection Medication Side Effects

    • Other liver transplant complications involve immunosuppressant (anti-rejection) drugs. For instance, cancer may develop. The most common cancers to come about as a serious liver transplant complication include skin cancer and lymphoma, which is a cancer of the white blood cells when blood cells normally protect the immune system.

    Infection

    • Surgery, in general, carries an infection risk, but liver transplant infection risk is increased due to the anti-rejection medications that suppress the immune system. These drugs are needed to hep prevent the body from rejecting the new liver. If an infection does develop, it most likely will respond to treatment.

    Bile Duct Problems

    • Bile duct complications can occur as a result of a liver transplant. A bile duct is a large duct that transports bile from the liver or gallbladder to the duodenum One of the potential bile duct problems is shrinking of the bile ducts. Or, the connection between the bile duct and the intestine may not heal properly, leading to bile leaking out. Also, scar tissue might block the bile duct and prevent the bile from flowing.

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