Liver Transplant

Main functions of liver

• Removes toxins from the blood
• Breaks down proteins, sugar and fats
• Stores nutrients absorbed from intestines

Unless the liver damage is fairly severe or advanced, diseases of the liver are often “silent” and patients may not be aware of any problems. The signs and symptoms of liver disease are related to the various liver functions.

Different liver diseases may affect some functions more than others, resulting in variability between patients.

• The impaired processing of nutrients results in wasting of tissues, particularly muscle.
• Impairment of the liver’s ability to secrete bile causes accumulation of its constituents including bilirubin pigment, responsible for the yellow discoloration of skin and urine (jaundice), and bile acids which may be responsible for the itch suffered by some patients.
• The decreased absorption of Vitamin K and inadequate production of clotting factors cause easy bruising and bleeding, initially from the gums.
• Massive bleeding from the gut is usually due to blood from the gut being diverted away from the liver, to the esophagus and stomach.
• The decreased production of important proteins by the liver contributes to the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, legs and lungs.
• The failure of the liver to deal adequately with poisons produced in the gut can cause drowsiness, forgetfulness, lack of concentration, confusion and coma.
• The liver is also much slower at dealing with alcohol and drugs, causing increasing sensitivity to these substances.
• Inadequate removal of micro-organisms or “germs” from the blood coming from the gut partly explains the increased incidence of serious infections in patients with liver disease.