Digestive and Metabolic Diseases

Liver Diseases and Transplantation

The liver accomplishes many complex functions in the body. Liver failure can happen suddenly (acute liver failure) as a result of viral hepatitis, drug-induced injury or infection. Liver failure can also be the end result of a long-term problem. It is also considered as a   gland because among of its many functions, it makes and secretes bile. Alcohol abuse is the most common cause of liver disease in North America. Alcohol is directly toxic to liver cells and can cause liver inflammation, referred to as alcoholic hepatitis. In chronic alcohol abuse, fat accumulation occurs in liver cells affecting their ability to function. Cirrhosis is a final -stage of liver disease.

Liver transplantation is surgically renewal of a diseased liver with one that is normal and healthy. At this time, transplantation is the only cure for liver insufficiency or liver failure because no device or machine reliably executes all of the functions of the liver. People who require liver transplants typically have either acute or chronic liver failure.