Transplantation means to replace one organ with another, to replace an affected organ by a healthy one.

In case it results impossible to control an hepatic disease by means of traditional therapeutic procedures, hepatic transplant appears as life alternative.

Patients in need of an hepatic transplant undergo the terminal stage of an hepatic insufficiency. They may reach said stage, either because they have been chronic patients for years at the gastroenterology or clinic hepatology service or because they have undergone an acute disease coming suddenly to the most critical stage, being quick, progressive and irreversible, as in the case of fulminating hepatitis. Likewise, many children may happen to need hepatic transplant, due to congenital disorders of the hepatic metabolism or due to biliary atresia.

Pre-transplant evaluation is performed at specialized centers and aims to determine indications and feasibility of the procedure. This requisite is necessary to include a patient in the waiting list of INCUCAI (Single National Central Institute of Ablation and Implant).

All patients in need of transplant are included in said waiting list, in order of gravity according to each patient´s clinical condition and classified by blood group and date of registration in said list. Waiting time to transplant, mainly depends on the availability of cadaveric donors.

Liver to be transplanted should preferably come from a cadaveric donor. However, transplant from a live related donor , appears as a necessary alternative, in view of the low number of cadaveric donors in our country.