When you factor in regular travel to their doctor for the effective management of their condition and preparation for transplantation, it can also be emotionally debilitating. The liver's function is to metabolize nutrients and other substances, and to purify the blood. Among other things, it also produces needed enzymes and proteins. Severely damaged livers are incapable of properly metabolizing or detoxifying what is ingested, resulting in a buildup of toxic waste products. UCI Medical Center is the only Orange County facility offering this approach.
Survival rates are also very encouraging.
Nationally, the three-year survival rate is about 70 percent. At UCI Medical Center, the five-year survival rate is nearly 80 percent following liver transplantation. Imagawa is quick to point out that a new liver does not mean instant health, however. There are medications to suppress the body's immune system so that it doesn't reject the new liver, as well as other medications to aid metabolism. Sometimes people will end up taking upwards of five to 12 medications a day, every day, and have to carefully watch what they eat and drink.