Liver Transplant Cost in Chennai

Liver Transplantation 

A liver transplant is a surgery where a damaged or failing liver is replaced with a healthy one from a donor. The liver is a vital organ that filters toxins from the blood and helps with digestion. When it stops working due to conditions like cirrhosis, hepatitis, or liver cancer, a transplant might be needed. The donor liver can come from a deceased person or a living donor who gives part of their liver, as it can regenerate. After the surgery, patients need to take medications to prevent the body from rejecting the new liver.

In India, 75% to 89% of patients who have undergone a liver transplant are fully satisfied with the outcome of their new liver.

Types of Liver Transplant and Their Cost 

There are 3 major types of liver transplant can be carried out:

• Orthotopic Transplant: This is one of the most common types of liver transplant. In this type of liver transplant, the entire liver is extracted from the deceased body which is donated before death and has no infections and cancers which may be transferred to the patient. 
• Split Type of Liver Transplant: A split liver transplant involves dividing a donor liver into two parts, allowing it to be transplanted into two different patients, usually an adult and a child.
• Liver Donor Transplant: This involves a donor who is a volunteer living person in which the donor underwent the operation first in which the doctor removes the portion of the liver. 

Liver Transplant Cost in Chennai

Minimum Cost: 10,00,000

Average Cost: 20,00,000

Maximum Cost: 30,00,000

Factors Affecting the Cost of Liver Transplantation

There are various factors which may affect the final cost of the liver transplant surgery. Some of the common factors are:

• Hospital facility: The reputation and infrastructure of the hospital influence the overall cost.

• Surgeon's expertise: Highly experienced surgeons may charge more for the procedure.

• Type of donor: Costs differ between living donors and deceased donors.

• Pre-transplant evaluation: Extensive tests and consultations add to the expenses.

• Post-surgery care: Intensive care and monitoring after surgery impact the total cost.

• Medications: Immunosuppressants and other drugs are a significant ongoing expense.

• Hospital stay duration: Longer stays can increase overall costs.

• Complications: Any post-surgical complications requiring further treatment raise costs.

Procedure of Liver Transplant

This surgery is done using general anesthesia, which would make the patient completely unconscious and go into deep sleep keeping him unaware during the whole procedure. 

1. Firstly, the transplant surgeon will make a long incision across the patient’s abdomen to get access to the liver. 

2. The location and size of the incision may vary as per the surgeon’s approach and the patient’s anatomy. 

3. Now, he will disconnect the liver’s blood supply and the bile ducts to remove the diseased liver place the donor’s liver in the patient’s body and reattach the blood vessels and the bile ducts. 

4. Finally, the surgeon with the help of stitches and staples would close the surgical incision. This is the procedure if the donor is a deceased person.

Note: In case, if the donor is a living donor then, only a portion of his liver will be substituted. The surgeon first operates the donor and removes a portion of his liver for a transplant. Then, he removes the dysfunctional liver of the patient and places the donated liver portion in his body. And finally, the surgeon connects the blood vessels and bile ducts to the new liver.

Common Reasons for Liver Transplantation

Following are the major indications for this surgery.

• Chronic Hepatitis B and C with cirrhosis

• Primary biliary cholangitis, which is a rare condition where the immune system inappropriately attacks and destroys the bile ducts

• Sclerosing cholangitis, which means scarring and narrowing of the bile ducts inside and outside of the liver, which causes a backup of bile in the liver

• Alcoholism

• Wilson’s disease, which is a rare inherited disease with abnormal levels of copper in the whole body including the liver

• Hemochromatosis, which is a common inherited disease that makes iron quantity in the body high

• Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which is an abnormal buildup of alpha-1 antitrypsin protein in the liver, which eventually results in cirrhosis

Who Should Not Go for Liver Transplant?

Though, liver transplant is a successful and an effective procedure but it is still not suitable for some individuals including:

• Patients with active infections that can't be controlled

• Those with advanced cancer outside the liver

• Individuals with severe heart or lung disease

• People with ongoing substance abuse issues

• Patients with poor overall health or frailty

• Those unwilling to commit to lifelong medication

• Individuals with uncontrolled HIV infection

• Patients with severe, untreated mental health conditions