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What are functions of liver?
Liver has several functions to do to keep us alive. Food is digested and absorb by intestine. This absorbed food is stored in the liver in form of carbohydrate, proteins, fat and vitamins. When body need arise, this stored food is used. Along with absorption of food, several toxic substances are also going to liver. The liver detoxify them and prevent them to enter into the systemic circulation.
Liver secrets bile juice which is important substance for absorption of fat from intestine.
Liver produces substances to help blood clotting.
Synthesis of certain immunoglobulin occurs by liver; immunoglobulins protect us from infection.
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What causes liver to get damaged?
Several diseases are affecting liver causing ill liver.
Infection caused by hepatitis virus is common. Hepatitis A occurs due to eating of contaminated food, while other viruses could spread due to sharing of infected needle, untested blood transfusion, unprotected sexual intercourse, etc. In developing countries, other viruses like toxoplasma or rubella may cause liver damage while baby is in the womb of the mother.
Excessive consumption of alcohol may cause acute alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Over eating associated with accumulation of fat in the liver. This fat, especially in patient having diabetes mellitus, produces inflammatory process in the liver leading to cirrhosis of liver. Obesity associated with diabetes is a common cause of liver failure.
Medications like paracetamol, rifampicin etc in normal or large dose causes acute liver failure.
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How do I know that my liver is damaged?
Liver gets damage either acutely in few days to few weeks or slowly over the years. In acute liver failure patient feels weak, does not like eating food, has nausea and vomiting. His eyes become yellow due to jaundice. Loss of weight is common. Blood and urine tests are necessary and patient may need hospital admission. Patient recovers over several weeks. However, in some cases of fulminant hepatic failure, liver damage is irreversible and patient requires liver transplantation.
Some patient recovers completely from acute liver injury while others develop chronic changes over a period of years. The liver becomes small in size due to fibrosis; the condition is known as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis of liver will lead to weight loss, accumulation of fluid in abdomen, swelling of legs, anorexia, fullness of stomach after taking small amount of food, altered sleeping pattern, blood in the stool or blood in the vomitus etc. Advance liver disease is life threatening and often associated with alteration of function of other organs like kidney, brain and lung. Since the liver is irreversibly and severely damage, the only treatment is liver transplantation. Some patients may develop liver cancer and they too require liver transplant when cancer is in early stage.
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To whom should I contact for liver transplantation?
We have daily OPD (outdoor patient department) for patients suffering from advanced cirrhosis of liver. Most of the patients from city of Ahmedabad are evaluated for liver transplantation on OPD base. Those patients coming from far place may requires admission for evaluation. You can get appointment bytelephone (+91-79-22687108) between 9.0 am and 5.0 pm on Monday to Friday and between 9.0 am and 12.0 noon on Saturday.
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How do I get done my liver transplantation at IKDRC-ITS?
A team of doctors evaluate you for fitness for transplantation. You may require detail evaluation of functions of other organs like kidneys, lungs and heart. Meeting with all family members is carried out to discuss various options and risks and benefits of liver transplantation.
Following evaluation for liver transplantation, you will be registered in the waiting list for liver transplantation. At the time of registration, you will be asked to deposit Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees two lakhs); this is completely refundable if you are not undergoing transplantation. This money is utilized on the day of your transplantation. The total cost of uncomplicated transplantation is less than Rs. 13,00,000/- (thirteen lakhs) but in complicated cases and in cases of hepatitis B virus related cirrhosis it will increase. It is quiet unpredictable how early you get the liver from deceased donor. Usually, liver is allocated to the sickest patient in the waiting list rather than to the patient having longest waiting time.
If you have a healthy living donor, liver transplantation can be carried out electively. Roughly, 60% of liver from donor is removed for transplantation in adult and 40% of liver is removed for transplantation in children. Donor must be a related as per The Human Organ Transplant Act (THOA) 1994; accordingly, father, mother, brother, sister, children above the age of 18 years or wife could be a potential donor. For liver transplantation in children, healthy grand parents may be accepted as donor.
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Who can get financial assistance?
Financial assistance for liver transplantation may be obtained either from state government of Gujarat or from Prime Minister Fund. Children belongs to state of Gujarat having less than 18 years, patients under category of SC/ST and patients holding the BPL card will be given complete financial support by the state government of Gujarat. However, prior approval for transplantation from state government is necessary.
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How long do I need to stay in hospital after liver transplantation?
Liver recipient usually stays for two to three weeks in hospital. Subsequently, he will be asked to stay in the city of Ahmedabad for about a period of 6 weeks and he needs regular follow up on OPD base. After going home, you will require period blood tests and may require either personal visit, or communication through email.