Liver donor requirements that must be met before donating

For those who have chronic liver disease that is not successfully treated with various existing treatments, a liver transplant may be the best option to replace the damaged liver with a healthy liver from a donor. Liver transplants can be obtained from people who are dead or alive. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find liver donors in Indonesia, let alone one that is truly suitable. That's why finding suitable liver donors generally takes a long time. So, what are the requirements for a liver donor that prospective donors must meet before a liver transplant?

How is the liver transplant done?

Liver transplantation can be done by transplanting a portion of liver tissue from a living or deceased donor (usually from an accident or head injury victim who has brain death, but the heart is still beating) into the donor recipient's body in need.

Some of the transplanted liver tissue, and some of what remains in the donor's body can still grow back into a normal liver. The reason is, the liver has the ability to regenerate itself even though it is slower than other body cells.

Liver donor requirements that must be met

A person who wants to donate his heart must do several checks and be declared healthy, that is, he does not have an infectious disease, a disease that can be life-threatening and has a healthy body and soul. Generally, living donors come from siblings, spouses or friends. If you intend to donate, there are several conditions for a liver donor that you must fulfill, namely:

Intend to donate by yourself without coercion from anyone
19 to 55 years old
Has psychological stability
Have a prime health condition
Do not have a history of serious diseases such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, or heart disease.
Has a body size equal to or greater than the recipient of the donor
Have the same blood type and tissue type
Not smoking and consuming alcohol for a specified amount of time

Most importantly, tell the medical team about your medical history before donating a liver, so that the medical team can determine whether you can be a candidate for donation or not.

Side effects that may arise after donating a liver

Usually there are no significant health problems after donating a liver. However, as with the side effects after major surgery in general, some of the side effects that may arise include:

Bleeding
Infection
Allergic reactions
Organ or tissue damage near the incised organ
Blood clotting

Even though you will be sedated during the operation, you may still experience pain while recovering. That is why, it will take time for you to fully recover after having a liver transplant operation.

Which must be considered before deciding on a liver donor

Becoming a liver donor for medical purposes is a legal activity. What is not allowed is making purchases or buying and selling of donors. So as long as it is voluntary and there is no commercial element, it is not a problem.

Before deciding on a liver donor, think carefully about the benefits and all the risks. It is very important for you to get complete information before you make this decision. Don't forget to always consult with the medical team about the procedure, surgery steps, and your health in the future after donating organs.

The biggest advantage of being an organ donor is that you can “save” someone's life. And make sure that the decision to become a donor is purely your own decision. Don't let other people influence your decisions.