Liver Transplant: A Life-Saving Miracle

Liver transplantation is one of the most important life-saving operations in the medical world today. This procedure, which plays a vital role in the treatment of diseases such as chronic liver failure and liver cancer, enables thousands of people to live a healthy life every year. Altınbaş University Faculty of Medicine Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman drew attention to the insufficiency in organ donation and the difficulty in finding suitable liver donors, emphasizing that this situation constitutes a major obstacle for patients waiting for liver transplantation.

“More than 1 million patients are waiting for organ transplantation”

Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman said that organ donation and transplantation processes are a rapidly developing field in Türkiye. He considered it as a matter of concern that the Ministry of Health and various non-governmental organizations have accelerated their efforts to raise awareness on organ donation. According to the Coordination Association of Organ and Tissue Transplant Organizations of Türkiye, the number of patients waiting for liver transplantation is increasing every year. Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman stated that although there is no current and clear data on the number of patients waiting for liver transplantation, the number of patients waiting for organ transplantation worldwide exceeds 1 million. In Türkiye, according to the data of the Ministry of Health in November 2023, the number of patients waiting for liver transplantation was 2,600, and this number was recorded as 1,167 in 2022. According to these data, there has been a significant increase in the number of patients waiting for liver transplantation in the last three years, Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman said, “The insufficient number of donors puts the lives of patients at risk. The transplant process requires an intensive preparation phase, and in this process, it is of great importance to prepare the patient both physically and psychologically for the transplant, as well as expert teams.”

A tough wait for transplant patients

Reminding that liver failure is a serious condition that can cause the body to poison itself, Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman emphasized that the liver has vital functions such as cleaning the blood, removing toxins and storing energy. In cases where the liver does not function properly and adequately, patients often experience fatigue, jaundice and serious problems with other organs. Kocaman emphasized the importance of medical and psychological follow-up of patients waiting for transplantation until a suitable donor is found. He also stated that inadequate organ donation, especially from brain-dead patients in our country, prolongs this process even more.

“Organ donation should be encouraged”

Prof. Dr. Kocaman from Altınbaş University emphasized that organ donation should be encouraged in order to meet the need for liver transplantation in Türkiye. He shared his opinion that donating the organs of brain-dead individuals will be an important resource in meeting the need for liver transplantation. Kocaman also stated that there are various prejudices and misinformation about organ donation in the society and that this has a negative impact on organ donation rates. Kocaman said, “At this point, awareness-raising campaigns and trainings are of great importance. Raising awareness that organ donation is religiously and culturally acceptable can make society more sensitive to this issue.”

“Technological advances have increased transplant success”

Thanks to technological advances and medical research, the liver transplantation process is becoming safer and more effective every year. Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman states that the success rate of transplant operations has increased with the development of new techniques and improvement of operation processes. Kocaman said that research on artificial organs is also promising and emphasized that advances in medical technology and increased awareness of organ donation will contribute to overcoming the problems in liver transplantation to a great extent.

“Many patients get a new life with transplants from living donors”

Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman stated that the most important stage of the liver transplantation process is to find a suitable donor. He stated that the health status of the donor, the quality of the liver and the risks of the transplantation process are among the main factors affecting the transplantation decision. Kocaman emphasized that many patients can have a new life thanks to liver transplants from living donors and said, “However, the process of finding a living donor and the voluntariness of the donor requires a very meticulous approach.” He also stated that the Ministry of Health aims to overcome the difficulties in this area by accelerating family information and approval processes in the organ donation process.

“Organ donation is actually a life-saving operation”

Stating that liver transplantation offers a new hope of life for individuals with organ failure, Prof. Dr. Orhan Kocaman said, “As a society, increasing our level of awareness about organ donation and being sensitive about this issue means saving the lives of many people. It is the responsibility of all individuals to support organ donation and raise awareness for a healthy society. We hope that with the widespread awareness that organ donation is not just a donation, but a 'life-saving operation', we will make serious progress in solving the current problems.”