What to Expect If Your Child Needs a Liver Transplant
One way that Children’s supports your child and family through this challenging time is by helping you understand as much as possible about the transplant process.
You most likely have many questions about Children’s and how to prepare your child for her clinic visit. Get more information about your child’s clinic visit on the main hospital Web site including:
- Important things to do before the appointment
- Tips on helping your child feel safer about the upcoming visit
- Paperwork to remember the day of the appointment
- Suggested questions to ask your child’s doctor
- How to prepare for care at home
How does the transplant process start?
We accept referrals from your child’s primary care doctor, a specialist, a case manager or directly from you.
What happens before the transplant?
Your child will receive a pre-transplant evaluation to determine if a liver transplant is best for her before we can begin working with the organizations that handle the organ donation process.
We will review your child’s medical and surgical history and schedule an office visit with the transplant doctor and other members of the transplant team.
Once the evaluation is complete, your child’s case will be reviewed by the transplant team and they will determine whether liver transplantation is the best option for your child.
What happens once the decision to transplant is made?
If the team recommends a liver transplant for your child, and the family agrees, your child will be placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) transplant waiting list —even if a living donor liver transplant is being considered.
UNOS is the nonprofit scientific and educational organization that matches organs with recipients and collects and manages data about every transplant occurring in the United States.
In some situations, a living donor liver transplant may be possible. You may have a family member or other living donor who is able to donate a segment of the liver and who may be a good match.
If so, that person’s evaluation will take place at the University of Washington Medical Center.
If it’s a good match, the surgery will be performed there too. The UW Medical Center is just two miles away from Children’s. The donor liver segment is removed from the donor and is quickly transported from the Medical Center to Children’s for your child’s transplant.
There are many things to keep in mind while you are waiting for a liver transplant.
What happens during the transplant surgery?
Preparing your child and yourselves for surgery may help reduce your family’s stress during this time.
Our team is committed to helping children who need surgery and their families cope well with the experience. We want you to know what’s going to happen each step of the way.
Visit the main hospital Web site to learn more about what to expect if your child is having surgery including:
- What to do once surgery is scheduled
- Tips to help your child feel safer about the surgery
- What to bring the day of surgery
- What to expect the day of surgery
- Helpful questions to ask your child’s doctor
- How to prepare for care at home
Most liver transplant operations last six to 10 hours. During surgery, you will be asked to check in at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and be given a pager so that staff in the operating room can keep you informed of how your child is doing.
There are many comfortable places to wait at the hospital while your child is in surgery.
What happens after the transplant?
Patients begin their recovery in the PICU for minute-to-minute assessment and management of the recovering liver function and general recovery from the procedure.
Children generally stay in the PICU for three to seven days and are then moved to the Surgical Unit for the remainder of their stay. Typical hospital stays last two to three weeks.
Visit the main hospital Web site to find out what you need to know about your child’s stay at Children’s, including:
- Things to do before your child’s arrival
- Preparing your child for a hospital stay
- What to expect during your child’s stay
- Helpful questions to ask your child’s doctor
- Information to help you after your child has been discharged
Once discharged from the hospital, your child will continue to visit the clinic for follow-up care.
A regular schedule of visits will ensure that your child:
- Is recovering from surgery
- Has no signs of infection or organ rejection
- Is learning about and understanding how to take prescribed medicines
- Is returning to an active, normal lifestyle