Services and Programs

Surgical Department

What to Expect if Your Child Needs a Liver Transplant

Evaluation

The first step of any transplantation surgery is a thorough evaluation. You and your child will be seen by a pediatric gastroenterologist and a transplant surgeon and together they will conduct a full medical history and exam.

Warning… to parents of children who have had transplants. Ask the school nurse or other official to notify you immediately of any communicable diseases that may be circulating in your school.

After the evaluation, we will sit down with you and discuss your child's condition and our recommendations. We want you to have all the information you need to make informed decisions and we will work together to create the best possible care plan for your family. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

Preparation

If the decision is reached to move forward with the liver transplantation we will arrange for you to meet with our transplant nurse coordinator and a social worker. We will perform several tests and an ultrasound to help us determine the best type of transplant to perform: whole liver, split liver, or living donor.

Split-liver transplants allow us to share a liver between two patients. Basically, a whole cadaveric liver is split into two. About a third is implanted into a child and the rest in an adult or large child. After the operation the liver regenerates and grows.

If your child is going to receive a cadaveric liver, he will place him or her on a national transplant waiting list run by the UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing).

Surgery

We will call you as soon as a liver becomes available and we will immediately schedule surgery. Typically, liver transplant surgery lasts approximately 8 hours.

Recovery

A successful recovery and continued function of your new organ depends on the careful balance of your medications. After surgery, your child will receive the first dose of immunosuppressive drugs to prevent his or her body from rejecting the organ. Because immunosuppressive medications will interfere with your child's natural immune system, many precautions need to be taken.

Your child will remain in the hospital for about three weeks after surgery. Our pediatric gastroenterologist and a transplant surgeon will manage your child's care and one of our child life specialists will also be involved.

Your transplant team will monitor your child closely to watch for signs of organ rejection or infection for 6 months to a year. Prior to discharge from the hospital, you will be required to make an appointment for a transplant clinic visit to continue your child's medical follow-up. To make an appointment call the transplant office at 585-275-5875. Throughout this process, we will keep your primary care physician updated about your child's condition and progress.

After the initial follow-up period, we will continue to monitor your child on an annual basis.