About Liver Donation

Living Donor Transplants
A living donor transplant is one in which a healthy donor volunteers to haveapproximately three fifths of this large organ removed and transferred to therecipient. This amazing alternative is possible because of the unique natureof the human liver, which is the only human organ that can regenerate. Bothsections of the liver – in the donor and in the recipient – grow very rapidly.In the donor, the liver grows back virtually to its full size in less thaneight weeks! This is major abdominal surgery, but, like kidney donation, itis becoming steadily more routine. In the end a liver donor is less compromisedthan is a kidney donor, for you quickly end up with a complete liver again.

At this point, more than 1,000 living donor transplants have been performedin the United States. We know of several people who have had it done, includinga congressman from Massachusetts, who was a donor, and our Alderman’s wife,who was a recipient. We are cheered by the story of a young man who had a transplantand went on to win an Olympic medal in snowboarding. We just met Paul Quijanofrom Camden, Maine, who had a transplant four years ago with his brother’sliver. Both men are doing very well and had full size livers in three weeks!Paul volunteered that both he and his brother would be happy to talk with usand anyone interested in donation.

Hospitals have developed sophisticated protocols for selecting and caringfor donors. The assessment of living donors is handled completely separatelyfrom that of the patient. Donors undergo thorough medical and psychiatric evaluationsand have their own team of doctors and advocates. If the surgery takes place,the donor is in the hospital for a week, comes in for weekly check-ups forabout a month, has a CT scan after a month to check on the liver’s re-growth,and can return to completely normal activities, including athletics, withintwo months. All expenses and follow up are covered by our insurance.

With a living donor, we could keep Bob from becoming dangerously ill , wecould go through the surgery in Boston, and the surgery itself could be scheduledso that the doctors are all fresh and the outcomes are best. After a transplant,he would have a year of close follow up and anti-viral treatment to clear thehepatitis. Then he should be back to full strength and his active and committedwork.

There are no words of gratitude that could express what such a gift wouldmean for Bob and our family. This would obviously be a life-giving measure,one that has potential to restore him to full vigor. A liver donation wouldalso, incredibly, cure his hemophilia. This is because Factor VIII,the protein missing from his blood, is made in the liver.

Considering Donation
The optimal criteria for a liver donor are simple. The person must be ingood health and have blood type O, either positive or negative. It is preferablethat he or she be between 20 and 50 years old.

If you are w ill ing to consider this tremendous gift, we are happy to talkwith you. It is also possible to contact the hospital directly, and they will keep all inquiries confidential. The hospital has a strict policy not toput any pressure on donors, which means that the burden of follow up fallson the donor. In addition, the transplant staff is very busy and we are concernedthat they are not always prompt in responding to inquiries. We now have a newarrangement, and ask that people begin by calling us. Doctor Ray Chung,who has been caring for Bob since his hepatitis first surfaced, or Susan Noska the transplant coordinator can also answer your questions.

Coming forward as a potential donor is a big step, but it is only a firststep. As part of the process, donors get a very full medical evaluation andspeak with the transplant team, including the surgeon, psychiatrist, and otherstaff. There is time for substantial consideration and many issues can comeup along the way to rule out donation. We are very grateful to anyone willing to consider and pursue this option.

To contact the hospital directly, please begin by contacting Dr. Ray Chungor Susan Noska who is the transplant coordinator.

  • Ms. Susan Noska, Transplant Coordinator can be reached at 617-724-3872 or snoska@partners.org. Please cc. Ray Chung.
  • Dr. Martin Hertl at 617-724-3730, mhertl@partners.org, is the living donor surgeon. Donors will eventually need to meet with him.

Further Reading:

Contact Bob and Anne:

If you are interested in talking with Bob and Anne about liver donation, please use the contact form to send them an email.