Can You Donate Part of Your Liver?
Did you know that a living person can donate part of their liver to someone in need and go on to lead a long, healthy life?
Most people know that a living person can donate one of their kidneys, but living liver donation is both rarer and less well-known.
According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, over the last decade, there have been an average of 450 liver transplants from living donors every year, compared to an average of around 6,000 living kidney donor transplants.
Liver donation is unique because, unlike most organs, the liver has the remarkable ability to regenerate. This means that a healthy person can donate a portion of their liver to someone in need, and both the donor’s and the recipient’s livers will regrow to normal size over time.
Kidney vs. Liver Donation
Most people are born with two kidneys and only need one to function, so it makes sense to donate your extra kidney to someone in need.
However, we only have one liver, so there’s no extra to donate. But while you can’t donate your entire liver as a living donor, you can donate a portion of your liver to someone in need.
When you become a living liver donor, only a segment of your liver is removed and transplanted into the recipient. After the donation surgery, the remaining liver cells immediately begin to regrow. In most cases, the liver is back to its original size within six to eight weeks.
The Advantages of a Living Donor Liver Transplant
Most people who undergo liver transplants receive a liver from a deceased donor. For example, in 2023, 10,001 people underwent liver transplants with a deceased donor liver and only 658 underwent a liver transplant using a portion of a liver from a living donor.
There are significant advantages to having a liver from a living donor as opposed to a deceased donor.
Wait Time: Donors waiting for a liver from a deceased donor are subject to organ availability and often must wait months for a compatible liver to become available. In the United States, the median wait time for a liver from a deceased donor ranges from a few months to over three years. If someone in liver failure has a living liver donor, the evaluation process can begin immediately.
Planning & Timing: With living liver donation, the timing of the transplant surgery can be planned in advance. This allows both the donor and the recipient to be better prepared, both physically and mentally. In contrast, deceased liver donations depend on the availability of a suitable organ, which can be unpredictable and require an immediate response to an unexpected opportunity.
Recovery & Outcome: A living liver donor transplant typically results in a faster recovery, fewer complications, and improved long-term outcomes for the recipient because they’re receiving a portion of a healthy, living person’s liver. Living liver donors must undergo comprehensive testing to ensure their liver function and overall health is excellent, so living liver donor transplant recipients are getting the healthiest possible organ. In addition, once a portion of the living donor’s liver has been removed, it is transplanted into the recipient as soon as possible, which usually increases the chances that the transplant will be a success.
If you are interested in becoming a living liver donor, speak to your doctor or register as a donor with the National Liver Registry.