Liver Transplant
A liver transplant replaces a failing liver with a healthy whole liver from a deceased donor, or part of a liver from a living donor. Because the liver can regenerate, a partial graft grows to a functional size in both donor and recipient. It is the definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease and certain liver cancers, restoring function that medication can no longer maintain.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
The liver performs hundreds of vital functions, and when it fails — from cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, certain genetic and metabolic diseases, or some liver cancers — a transplant may be the only effective treatment. A liver transplant can use a whole liver from a deceased donor or a portion of liver from a healthy living donor; remarkably, the liver regenerates, so both the donor's remaining liver and the recipient's partial graft grow to a normal working size.
Transplantation is a coordinated process, not a single event. Recipients, and any living donor, undergo thorough evaluation — blood typing, imaging, and full medical and psychological assessment — to confirm the transplant is safe and appropriate. The operation itself removes the diseased liver and implants the donor liver, reconnecting blood vessels and bile ducts. Afterwards, immunosuppressive medication prevents rejection and is taken for life under regular monitoring.
International patients and any living donor are guided through every stage together by a dedicated coordinator, with a clear plan and a transparent, itemized cost estimate before travel covering evaluation, the donor work-up where relevant, surgery, hospital stay and follow-up. Our specialists can review records and imaging remotely for complex cases.
Who is a candidate?
- Adults or children with end-stage liver disease such as advanced cirrhosis
- People with acute liver failure who need urgent transplantation
- Patients with certain liver cancers confined to the liver that meet transplant criteria
- Those with some genetic or metabolic liver diseases best treated by transplant
- People well enough for major surgery and committed to lifelong immunosuppression and follow-up
- Patients with a suitable, willing living donor, or eligible for a deceased-donor program
What happens
- 1
Evaluation and matching
You, and any living donor, complete blood typing, imaging and a full medical and psychological assessment to confirm suitability and the safety of both donor and recipient before any transplant is scheduled.
- 2
Preparation
Your team optimizes your health for surgery, manages complications of liver disease, and explains the operation, recovery and the lifelong immunosuppression you will need.
- 3
The transplant
Under general anesthesia, the surgical team removes the diseased liver and implants the donor liver — whole or partial — reconnecting the blood vessels and bile ducts in a long, complex operation.
- 4
Early recovery
You are monitored closely in intensive care and then on a transplant ward, where the team watches liver function and starts the immunosuppressive medication that prevents rejection.
- 5
Follow-up for life
Regular blood tests and clinic visits track liver function and medication levels. International patients and living donors receive a clear aftercare plan and can be supported remotely after returning home.
Benefits
- The definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure
- Can be life-saving and restores liver function that medication cannot replace
- Living-donor transplantation can shorten waiting time and allow planned, scheduled surgery
- The liver regenerates, so partial grafts grow to a functional size in donor and recipient
- Long-term outcomes are generally favorable with modern immunosuppression and monitoring
Risks & considerations
- Rejection of the donor liver, which is why immunosuppression and monitoring are lifelong
- Increased risk of infection because immunosuppressive drugs lower the body's defenses
- Surgical complications including bleeding, clots, or problems with vessels or bile ducts
- Side effects of long-term immunosuppressive medication, which the team monitors and manages
- For living donors, the risks of a major operation, carefully weighed during evaluation
- Contact your medical team straight away if you develop a fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tenderness or swelling over the graft, or any unusual bleeding or bruising — even after you return home — as these can be signs of rejection or infection that need urgent assessment
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is delivered by our Comprehensive Transplant Center.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Liver Transplant — frequently asked questions
In many cases, yes. Because the liver regenerates, a healthy living donor can give a portion of their liver, which grows to a functional size in both donor and recipient. A suitable, willing relative is carefully evaluated for compatibility and safety before any living-donor surgery proceeds.
Yes. Immunosuppressive medication prevents your body from rejecting the new liver and is taken for life, with regular blood tests to keep it at the right level. Your team explains the schedule and manages any side effects.
For certain liver cancers confined to the liver and meeting established criteria, transplantation can be an effective treatment, because it removes the diseased liver entirely. Your team confirms whether your case meets the criteria after review.
Yes. Share your medical reports and imaging and our specialists provide an independent opinion on whether transplantation is appropriate, before you commit to travel.
A liver transplant usually means around two to four weeks in hospital plus further recovery and follow-up locally — your coordinator confirms the timeline. We provide a transparent, itemized estimate after reviewing your case, listing evaluation, the donor work-up where relevant, surgery, hospital stay and follow-up. We do not quote fixed prices online because each plan is individual.
Related treatments
Considering liver transplant?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.