World Organ Donation Day 2023: Saving Lives Through Liver Donations

Dr Gaurav Gupta shares some other things to keep in mind to make sure you are eligible for donation.

World Organ Donation Day 2023: There is nothing more noble than saving a life that will live on to see the joy life has to offer with a part of you. You don’t have to wait till the end of your life to witness that fulfilling outcome. On World Organ Donation Day, we want to share a way for you to share the gift of life with others. Liver donation is one of the many ways to help someone in a life-or-death situation. Liver donation is a selfless contribution by anyone between the age of 18-60. Since cadaver donation is still uncommon in India, most transplants are living donors only. Dr Gaurav Gupta, Fortis Hospital, Senior Consultant & Director- Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, shares some other things to keep in mind to make sure you are eligible for donation-

Blood relation: As per the THOA Act, living donors has to be first-degree blood relative of the patient. Relations have been described as first degree: spouse, real brother and sister, parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren.
No history of Substance abuse: The donor must be willing to avoid drinking until they recover completely from the surgery. Usage of other harmful drugs can also have profound health implications.
Free from severe medical conditions: Individuals suffering from health conditions related to the Liver, the heart, Cancer, Diabetes or HIV are ineligible to donate.
Healthy BMI: The donor should be a healthy weight and fall in the healthy range for their height. Preferably less than 30 kg/m2.

The Pre-evaluation Process-

Liver donors are evaluated in 3 step process. The evaluation process requires the donor to undergo some tests to ensure they are a good match for the recipient and healthy enough to endure the surgery without any severe long-term health-related consequences. It starts with a thorough history and clinical examination of the donor. Donors are counselled about all the potential risks and complications of organ donation.

Some of the tests to determine eligibility for surgery are as follows:

Complete blood work which involves volumetry of the donor liver segment as well as the remaining liver
Gynaecological evaluation (female Donors)
Cardiopulmonary evaluation
Psychiatric evaluation

The Surgery

After the pre-evaluation, the Authorisation Committee must approve the donation. Once the approvals are in place, the surgery will be scheduled. The recovery from the surgery will require the donor to stay in the hospital for a week. The donor might experience pain and discomfort during the initial recovery, which can be curbed by taking the prescribed pain medication. Once the initial pain is under control and the signs of recovery are observed, the discharge is initiated. The donor requires 2-3 weeks of light work to recover from the surgery fully. It is vital to understand the challenges, but it is also important to remember the significant impact this process can have on the life of not just the recipient but also the lives of their close family, friends and loved ones, much like you do. The most crucial step is to prepare oneself mentally for the commitment one makes to go through the surgery process; for that, awareness is vital.