Can
only certain types of liver disease be treated by liver
transplantation?
A large number of diseases
are capable of interfering with the liver’s function
sufficiently to threaten the life of the patient and
most are potentially treatable by liver transplantation.
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Are
there other options other then liver transplantation
for the treatment of liver disease?
Effective medicines are
available for some liver diseases, while for others
only treatment for complications is available. Treatment
of complications may be all that is required if the
liver is not failing. Frequently medical treatment delays
but does not eliminate the need for transplantation.
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If
I need a liver transplant, does that mean that the medicines
are not working?
Yes and no. If medical
treatment is likely to allow prolonged survival with
good quality of life, transplantation would be reserved
for the future. However, ideally the surgery is undertaken
before the terminal stage of the disease when the person
is too ill to withstand major surgery and will not survive
the wait for a suitable donor.
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Do
I have to be on medicine for the rest of my life if
I receive a liver transplant?
Usually. However, as the
body adjusts to the transplanted liver, the amount of
medicine needed to control rejection is reduced. Patients have
been successfully taken off these drugs. Researchers
are attempting to determine why this has been successful
in these cases.
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