Those suffering from liver disease turn to living donors for survival, a controversial procedure,  since aiving person is placed at risk to save a life.

The procedure involves the taking of a part of a liver from a healthy person and transplanting it to a sick recipient, as the liver regenerates. With time the liver from both persons will be grown to normal size and will be dully functional.

The first was done in 1989, involving transferring of liver grafts from adults to ailing children, a process with little risks as only 25% of the liver is needed. As time went on the process became more accepted and the technique was upgraded to suit adult patients with up to 60% of the liver taken.

Just six adult-to-adult liver transfers had been done in the US up to 1996, as per the United Network for Organism Sharing (UNOS) which supervises the exercise. The figures had risen to 412 five years later. More than 2,800 have been done to date in the US.

Only four donors died in related complications according to UNOS reports. These have raised the doubts on the liver transplants; when to operate a healthy person.

Mike Herwitz’s, a donor, died in New York’s Mt. Sinai hospital, 2002, bringing scrutiny on the live-donor transplants on the screening procedures for donors. The victim developed a bacterial stomach infection and died three days after the donation. Reviews pointed blame to poor surgical care and the exercise was suspended until corrective measures were installed.

Other cases of death were reported in University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill hospital, 1999, the donor suffered complications including kidney failure, pancreatitis, a bale leak and infection. In May at Labey Clinic Massachusetts a donor died during surgery when a vein was detached from the vena cava causing hemorrhage. In August, University of Colorado, a donor suffered cardiac arrest in the same.

UNOS supervises all the transfer centers. Donors are medically and medically examined and have an advocate prior to signing a consent agreement.

Image Credit: