The goals of the evaluation process are to determine whether you:
- Are healthy enough to have surgery and tolerate lifelong post-transplant medications
- Have any medical conditions that would interfere with transplant success
- Are willing and able to take medications as directed and follow the suggestions of the transplant team
Pre-liver transplant tests: To prepare for certain tests, the transplant team may ask you to not eat or take some medicines before coming to the hospital. The medical coordinator will give you instructions before each test and consultation.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of abdomen/pelvis OR
- Computed tomography (CT) scan of abdomen/pelvis
- Dobutamine stress echocardiogram (DSE)
- Electrocardiogram & chest X-ray
- Mammogram or Pap smear for women
- Blood test: basic blood test, viral markers, lipid & thyroid profiles, tumor markers etc.
- A general health exam, including routine cancer screening tests, to evaluate your overall health
- Nutrition counseling with dietitians who assess your nutritional status and make recommendations regarding nutritional intake before and after transplant
- Psychological evaluation to assess and treat any underlying issues, such as depression or anxiety, and determine whether you fully understand the risks of a liver transplant
- Meetings with social workers who assess your support network to determine whether you have friends or family to help care for you after transplant
- Addiction counseling to help people with alcohol, drug or tobacco addictions to quit
- Financial counseling to help you understand the cost of a transplant and post-transplant care.
- Once these tests and consultations are completed, the transplant center’s selection committee meets to discuss your situation. It determines whether a liver transplant is the best treatment for you and whether you’re healthy enough to undergo a transplant.