You have three options:
- SWAP LIVER TRANSPLANT
- ABO INCOMPATIBLE LIVER TRANSPLANT
- CADAVERIC (DECEASED DONOR) LIVER TRANSPLANT
Swap Liver Transplant Program at Medanta
- In this procedure, we help in legal exchange of donor livers between two families - both with patients who cannot undergo transplant with livers from their own donors. For eg., family 1 has recipient blood group A and donor blood group B. Family 2 has recipient with group B and donor with group A (Rh + or -ve does not matter). All the 4 (2 recipients and 2 donors) of these two families are operated at the same time and the donor livers are exchanged.
- Hence swap transplant is generally possible in 2 situations - if the recipient blood group is A and donor's is B, or if the recipient blood group is B and donor's is A.
- Swap is also sometimes possible if the liver from the family donor is too small or too big (volume exchange).
- India's largest and the among the world's largest swap liver transplant experience
- India's largest swap liver transplant patients' database
- 30 successful swap transplants
- Speak to our swap liver transplant recipients and donors
ABO incompatible Liver Transplant Program at Medanta
- Dr Soin's team became the first in India and the fourth in the world to successfully perform ABO incompatible transplants in 2012.
- Suitable patients are those who do not have blood group matching family donors (4 combinations): Recipient A, and donor B; recipient B and donor A; recipient O and donor A; recipient O and donor B.
- Special medicines and procedures done to make the body accept blood group incompatible donor liver
- Speak to our patients who had successful ABO incompatible liver transplants
Cadaveric (Deceased Donor) Liver Transplantation at Medanta
- Dr. Soin and his team now operate in 4 centres (Medanta-The Medicity Hospital - Gurgaon, Sterling Hospital - Ahmedabad, Jupiter Hospital - Mumbai and ColumbiaAsia Hospital - Bangalore) where cadaveric transplants are possible
- We will facilitate your getting on the waiting list at all our centres
- Speak to our patients who have had cadaveric liver transplants
Despite immunosuppressive therapy, the chance of complications such as vascular thrombosis (blood clot formation in the liver's blood vessels) is higher in blood type mismatched transplants. Vascular thrombosis can impair the liver's blood supply, leading to graft dysfunction or failure. For these reasons, matching blood groups between the donor and recipient is a key factor in ensuring transplant success. Adequate pre-transplant blood group testing is critical to minimize the risk of rejection and maximize the chances of long-term graft survival.
In such cases, special medical protocols are employed to reduce the immune response and minimize the risk of rejection. These interventions include plasmapheresis (to remove anti-donor antibodies from the blood), intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy, and more intense immunosuppressive drug regimens. Some studies show that ABO-incompatible liver transplants, especially in pediatric patients, may have higher success rates due to the liver's regenerative capacity and the immature immune system in younger patients. Nevertheless, wherever possible, matching blood types between donor and recipient remains the gold standard for optimizing outcomes.
In liver transplantation, the donor and recipient's blood types are carefully matched to reduce the risk of rejection. Blood group O individuals are considered universal donors, meaning their liver can be transplanted into recipients of any blood type (A, B, AB, or O). However, individuals with blood type AB are considered universal recipients because they can receive a liver from any blood group. Testing for ABO compatibility ensures the best possible outcome for the transplant.
Careful consideration is needed when selecting a donor for a patient with blood group O to avoid complications associated with mismatched transplants, such as rejection or graft failure.
Living-donor liver transplantation, where a friend or relative with a compatible blood type donates a portion of their liver, can be a valuable option for patients with rare blood groups. Moreover, some transplant centers use advanced desensitization techniques and immunological therapies to manage blood group incompatibilities, offering hope to patients with uncommon blood types.
The liver’s role is primarily in blood filtration and detoxification, and it does not influence the recipient’s blood type. Therefore, post-transplant, the recipient will maintain the same blood group they had prior to the surgery.