A liver transplant is the process of replacing a sick liver with a donated healthy liver. It is needed when a person’s liver failing and the doctor recommends the patients for a transplant.

Many diseases can cause liver failure such us:

Chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C.

Bile duct diseases.

Genetic diseases.

Autoimmune liver diseases.

Primary liver cancer.

Alcoholic liver disease.

Fatty liver disease.

Donated livers come from living and non-living donors. Living donors donate a part of their livers’. The donated and the remaining part of the donor’s liver will grow to the size the body needs in weeks. Usually the liver is obtained from a cadaveric donor (a person diagnosed as "brain dead" but whose other organs and systems are functioning properly). Donor livers also can be obtained from a family member or a friend who donates a portion of his/her liver to the patient. Due to laws and Regulations in Turkey, International patients must have a donated liver from a living donor.

Blood type matching and liver size matching are essential in liver transplant. If there is a family member willing to donate a part of his/her liver it is possible to save the patient’s life by removing a piece of liver a living donor and transplanting it into a recipient.

Potential donors must meet certain basic requirements to be considered. They must be in good health and be motivated to donate for altruistic reasons. If live donation is an option for a patient, a donor evaluation will be performed after the recipient's testing is completed. After testing the donor, the transplant team decides whether the donation can be performed or not. Living donors are usually the only chance for children. Ideally, liver transplant should be between people whose blood types are matching. However, in emergency cases it could also be performed between non matching blood types, to save the patient’s life. But liver size matching is a must.

There are certain qualifications in order to safely perform a liver transplant. The donor must be:

Approximately the same weight and body size as the recipient.

Free from disease, infection, or injury that affects the liver.

Usually of the same or a compatible blood type.

Not pregnant.

18 to 65 years of age.