What I Need to Know About Liver Transplantation

Liver transplantation is surgery to remove a diseased or injured liver and replace it with a healthy one from another person, called a donor. Many people have had liver transplants and now lead normal lives. Your liver helps fight infections and cleans your blood. It also helps digest food and stores a form of sugar your body uses for energy. The liver is the largest organ in your body. This publication by the National Institutes of Health (Publication No. 10-4951) provides information about the signs and symptoms of liver problems and the treatments that are available.