Living liver transplant
A small percentage of liver donations come from a living donor, such as a friend or family member. During a living-donor liver transplant, one portion of the donor's liver is removed and transplanted in your body. The livers begin regenerating new cells almost immediately.
A liver transplant is a surgical procedure to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver from a donor. Most liver transplant operations use livers from deceased donors, though a liver may also come from a living donor.
The number of people waiting for new livers is much larger than the number of available livers, so liver transplant is reserved for people who are critically ill. Some people will receive a liver right away, while others spend many months waiting for a liver transplant.
Read more about liver transplant:
Request an appointment with a Mayo Clinic doctor to determine if transplant is right for you.
Find Mayo Clinic on