Hepatitis - Symptom Management

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Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation may be indicated for patients with severe cirrhosis or for patients with liver cancer that has not spread beyond the liver.

Current 5-year survival rates after liver transplantation are 55 - 80%, depending on different factors. Patients report improved quality of life and mental functioning after liver transplantation

Patients should consider medical centers that have performed more than 50 transplants per year and produced better-than-average results. Unfortunately, there are far more people waiting for liver donors than there are available organs. [For more information, see In-Depth Report #75: Cirrhosis.]

Review Date: 09/29/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, In-Depth Reports; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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