The patient PATHWAY
liver transplant
You are waiting for a liver transplant
Liver transplantation is the only treatment for certain liver diseases that cause this vital organ to malfunction.
Before starting this procedure, it is crucial to assess the benefits and risks of the intervention and eliminate any possible contraindications. To do this, a series of tests and consultations will be necessary before making the final decision and placing your file on the waiting list.
Following the assessment, in the absence of contraindications, your file will be submitted to the liver transplant (LT) team during dedicated weekly multidisciplinary meetings. The surgeons will review the most appropriate technique for your procedure one last time.
Once this step is validated, you will be officially placed on the national waiting list. The transplant coordination nurses handle this administrative procedure. Thanks to the CRISTAL computer system, connected to the Biomedicine Agency, your registration will be finalized. The transplant wait time varies depending on the indication and the patient's health.
Throughout this period, you will be monitored by a nurse specialized in transplant coordination, who will be your main contact and will support you throughout your journey. Once you are on the waiting list, the call for the transplant can occur at any time, including at night or during the weekend.
Liver transplantation
A liver transplant lasts between 5 and 10 hours. It begins with the removal of the diseased liver, followed by the implantation of the liver graft, which reconnects the vessels (arteries, veins) and bile ducts.
After the operation, you will be transferred to the intensive care unit (or resuscitation), for close monitoring to check that the graft is functioning properly and detect any possible complications.
When your condition permits, you will be transferred to a less restrictive hospital unit for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. During this time, health checks will be carried out daily.
You will then need to undergo regular medical monitoring to adjust your immunosuppressive treatment and monitor for potential side effects.
A transplant coordinator and the entire medical team will be there to support you throughout this stage.
After the transplant
Once your doctor gives you the go-ahead, you can go home.
Close monitoring is implemented during the first month, with weekly visits for health checks. Regular blood samples are taken on an empty stomach to check immunosuppressant levels. Additional tests (ultrasounds or CT scans) may be performed depending on the results. Your primary care physician will then see you to discuss the results and adjust your treatment. You will also see the surgeon regularly to ensure there are no complications related to the surgery.
As your condition improves, consultations will be spaced every two weeks, then every three weeks for the next two months.
After this initial follow-up, consultations will be spaced every 3 to 4 months with your hepatologist or surgeon if your results are normal.
The transplant association
of the Salpetriere pity
The Pitié Salpêtrière Transplant Association is an association of people who have themselves been transplanted and who, through
their testimony and their support, wish to provide their moral support to transplant patients and/or those awaiting transplantation.
Organ Donation,
a link that concerns us all
To give new life to patients waiting for an organ, encouraging donation is essential. In the name of national solidarity, the law states that we are all organ and tissue donors, unless we have expressed our refusal to be removed during our lifetime; this is the principle of presumed consent.