All the invasive tests performed have some risks, even though minimal. Surgery itself is a high-risk procedure because of the nature of the liver. We still do not have the experience to be able to quote accurate statistics as to the real risks involved with this technique. We have seen that the complications related to the donors so far have been insignificant, but it is still too early to determine what is the real risk involved in this surgery. And therefore we consider it safe to quote to the potential donors those statistics that come through many years of surgical experience.
Mortality means death.
Dave, the recipient of a living donor transplant will take immunosuppression drugs for the rest of his life, including cyclosporin, like any other transplant patient in the world would. The donor does not have to take any medicines after the normal postoperative. They usually leave the hospital after surgery within five days, some in three days, and they are able to return to their usual activities within a month after surgery. Our biggest obstacle nowadays is that insurance companies will accept this procedure as standard for patient care. The results so far have indicated that it is comparable to cadaveric liver transplant with the advantage that it can be performed when a donor is available and not when the patient is so sick and waiting for a long time on a list.