A new team of experts has been created to help liver transplant centres across the UK increase the number of transplants from living donors.
For many people with advanced liver disease, a liver transplant is the only treatment option. But sadly a shortage of donors means that many people die or become too ill for surgery before a new liver is found.
Currently, almost all adult liver transplants need a liver from someone who has died. But livers have an amazing ability to repair themselves. It is possible to take part of a liver from a living donor and give it to someone in need.
At the moment this kind of transplant, called a living donor liver transplant or LDLT is very rare. Overall only 2% of all living donor transplants in the UK are liver transplants. Most of the recipients are children.
Expert team
Living donor liver transplants are complex operations. They require a team of specialist healthcare professionals. But because the procedure is rare in the UK, many transplant units do not have the specific experience or expertise needed to offer it.
Instead, this new project has set up a “proctor team”. This is a team of experts drawn from liver transplant units across the UK. It includes senior transplant surgeons, liver doctors (transplant hepatologists), specialists in medical imaging (radiologists), anaesthetists and specialist nurses (living donor coordinators). They are all experts in living donor liver transplantation and are approved by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to be involved in the proctor team.
The proctor team will bring specialist expertise to liver transplant units across the UK. Rather than asking patients and donors to travel long distances to a few specialist centres.
How the new team will work
If your local transplant unit thinks you could be suitable for a living donor transplant, they will call in the proctor team to work alongside them on your case.
The proctor team will follow your care from referral to surgery to recovery. If you need to have your surgery at a different transplant unit they will partner with that unit for your care.
As part of the Living Donor Liver Transplantation Project, liver units across the UK have worked together to set up best practice pathways for living donor liver transplantation. The proctor team will ensure that every patient’s care will follow these best practice guidelines. Regardless of where you live or the hospital you are treated at.
The British Liver Trust has been working with NHS blood and transplant, who is leading on this project. It has initial funding from UK Transplant Commissioners. The expert team will also meet every month to check on progress.
With such a pressing need for more donor livers it is hoped that the proctor team will make it possible for more people to have a transplant. And for more donors to be able to give that lifesaving gift.
Find out more
NHS Blood and Transplant information about living donor liver transplants (As part of the new work, more information will be added this site in the coming weeks)
British Liver Trust transplant information
British Liver Trust transplant webinar recording on YouTube
British Liver Trust information on living with a liver condition
