The recovery time from a liver transplant procedure is quite long, usually averaging around six or more months. While you may be able to resume your daily life after a couple of months, you should still be quite careful during these six months to ensure proper recovery.
A liver transplant in Turkey procedure can take anywhere between 6 hours to 12 hours, depending on the complexıty of the case. The transplant procedure begins with the surgeon making an incision on the right side of the abdomen. This will allow the surgeon to access the damaged liver and remove it to place the donor's liver.
The newly transplanted liver needs to be connected to the nerves and bile ducts so that all the neighboring organs can continue to work as one functional unit. With this, the transplant procedure is complete and the surgeon will then suture the incisions.
Your treatment process begins with an online consultation. Our experts listen to your health story, your liver condition’s progression status, and your expectations. They will inform you about whether you need a liver transplant or other treatments.
It is important to share all your health information that may be useful at this stage. If available, please share your diagnosis and treatment process documents, imaging results, and information about your current health status with the health providers during this online consultation.
After your first evaluation, we offer a list of liver transplant clinics that meet the criteria you provide us. You will then examine all and decide on one of them. Depending on your choice, we move on to planning the entire treatment process.
When you arrive at the clinic, you will have a face-to-face consultation with your doctor. Everything about your liver transplant surgery will be discussed and decided during this consultation.
The doctor will ask you some questions to try to understand your expectations and concerns better and also make you understand what you should expect from your treatment with its potential risks or complications. Your doctor will explain the whole process clearly for you to feel enlightened and ready.
Before the liver transplant surgery begins, your surgeon will perform a series of tests to ensure that there are no contraindications. He or she will conduct physical and blood tests to make sure that you are in acceptable health status for the surgery and to eliminate the risks that can hinder the success of the procedure.
As soon as the patient becomes a candidate for a liver transplant, the patient is regularly followed up at the hospital to carry out various examinations (blood tests, medical imaging examinations). The patient must also be up to date with his vaccinations (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, pertussis Hemophilus influenza b).
Vaccination against influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, MMR, chickenpox) is highly recommended.
While waiting for a donor, the patient can wait several months before being transplanted, this time varies depending on the indication for the transplant but also the severity of his condition.
A liver transplant takes place under general anesthesia. A venous line, a urinary catheter, a gastric tube, and tracheal intubation are placed.
The procedure takes place in two stages:
These two stages must be perfectly synchronized because the graft must remain as short as possible deprived of blood circulation. Anti-rejection treatment is started in the operating room.
The major complication of liver transplant surgery is a rejection of the donor's liver by the recipient's body. The rejection can happen immediately, within a couple of days, or years later. Some of the other common reactions to liver transplants in Turkey are:
Liver transplant success rates in Turkey are quite high. Most patients are generally quite happy with the results of the procedure and enjoy a general life expectancy of 10 to 20 more years due to the transplant.
Procedure | Liver Transplant |
Duration | 4 - 8 hours |
Cost in Turkey | €45,000 - €56,000 |
Anesthesia | General anesthesia |
Recovery | 6 months |
Final Results | One year |
Side Effects | Infection, mental confusion, or seizures |
Risks | Infections, blood clots, rejection of donated liver |
Success Rate | 80% |
Exercise | After 8 weeks (moderate) |
Back To Work | After 3 - 6 months |
Scars | Yes |
Pain | Moderate |
Related Procedures | Hepatocyte transplantation |
Yes, the liver is an organ that can be transplanted, when medically necessary. The liver transplant success rate in Turkey is quite high, indicating the safety and efficacy of the procedure.
The life expectancy after a successful liver transplant in Turkey is quite high with people living, on average, for at least 10 years after the procedure. Many go on to live for over 20 years.
The minimum cost of a liver transplant in Turkey is around €50,000 which is significantly lower than the costs in other European countries.
Liver transplants are used in cases of end-stage liver failure; when the liver is no longer able to perform its functions.
Possible side effects of immunosuppressants include:
Alcoholic beverage consumption after transplant is not recommended, even for people who have not had alcohol-related liver disease. Alcohol is broken down by the liver and drinking alcohol forces the liver to make extra effort.