A liver transplantation is a lifesaving procedure done on patients who develop liver failure that cannot be treated medically. It may be needed for acute liver failure that may occur as a result of acute severe liver injury due to viruses, drugs or toxins. It is also needed for end stage liver disease arising in advanced decompensated liver cirrhosis. Certain stages of liver cancer can also be cured by a liver transplant.

A liver transplant is of two types – deceased donor liver transplant in which the liver from a deceased person is transplanted into a needy patient, and living donor liver transplant in which a healthy person donates a portion of his liver to a patient.

The latter is possible because the liver regenerates quite rapidly when it is split. The donated portion of the liver enlarges in the recipient while the remnant portion of the liver regains its original volume in the liver donor.