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About the Organ - Liver

The liver is a vital organ located in the upper-right portion of the abdominal cavity. It is a reddish-brown organ and receives blood for two sources - the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein. The liver is responsible for the metabolism of drugs and toxins, removing toxins products of normal body metabolism and synthesizing many important enzymes and proteins. The liver also plays a major role in producing bile, a liquid that assists in dissolving fats and removing toxins through the intestine.

It also helps fight infections, thus improving immunity, converting excess glucose to starch for energy and cleans the blood.

The liver can function adequately, even when 30% of it is healthy and the rest 70% is removed. Also, close to 50% of the liver can be removed from a donor, without the donor facing any complications.

The liver is the only organ in our body that can regenerate after portions of it are removed. This is also the reason why liver transplants have over 80% success rate for patients and are safe for donors as well.

Conditions leading to the transplant

Acute Hepatitis - It is an infection of the liver that leads to inflammation and liver damage. A previously healthy liver gets infected by a virus, like viral hepatitis, or overdose of a drug or due to any chemical exposure by ingestion. The common symptoms that follow acute hepatitis are Jaundice, vomiting, nausea, fever, loss of appetite, sore muscles and joint pains. Acute hepatitis is usually diagnosed with the help of lab tests for viral detection as well as Liver Function Tests.

Chronic Hepatitis - When a patient does not fully recover from Acute Hepatitis, they may develop Chronic Hepatitis. The inflammation and damage to the liver increase with time. If the symptoms are visible beyond 6 months, then it turns into chronic hepatitis. Chronic Hepatitis is of three types - Alcohol-induced Chronic Hepatitis, Chronic active hepatitis and Chronic persistent Hepatitis. The symptoms are more or less similar to Acute Hepatitis. Chronic Hepatitis is diagnosed with the help of lab tests, Liver function tests and liver biopsy.

Liver Cirrhosis - There is irreversible scarring of the liver due to damage caused by liver diseases like Hepatitis. Over 70-90% liver is replaced by dead tissue. This is a severe condition that requires immediate intervention.

Common Tests to detect Liver diseases

The most common tests done to detect liver diseases are

Liver Function Tests - Serum bilirubin, Serum Albumin, Serum alkaline phosphatase, Serum Aminotransferases, Prothrombin time, GGT, AFP, AMA

Virus Tests - HAV IgM, HEV IgM, HCV-Ab, HCV RNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, HBV DNA, Anti-HBs