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About Liver Transplant in Turkey
Liver transplant in Turkey is performed by specialist doctors with high success rates. Turkey’s hospitals and clinics provide the most advanced medical treatments and technological applications nowadays. Turkey is among the top three countries in the world for liver transplants from live donors. A liver transplant is done when the liver stops working, and this is called liver failure. A transplant is done to remove the liver that is not working properly and replace it with a healthy liver from another person, called a donor. The liver is the body’s largest internal organ and performs many different functions.
The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. It can regenerate itself fully if a minimum of %25 of the tissue remains healthy. It may regrow to its previous size without losing any function during the growth process. The liver is responsible for chemical activities that the body requires to survive. It regulates chemical levels in the blood and produces bile. Bile helps the body absorb fats and cholesterol. In addition to those, it acts in such roles as regulating blood coagulation and cleansing the blood of harmful substances.
Among the successful operations, liver transplantation in Turkey has come to an important position in Europe and many other countries. Many hospitals and clinics in Turkey are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). In Turkey, patients receive advanced treatment with cutting-edge technology from highly qualified medical staff.
Liver Transplant Procedure in Turkey
Liver transplantation is a frequently performed treatment procedure in Turkey. A liver transplant operation is conducted to extract the diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver donated by either a living or deceased donor. There are many people who are listed on the waiting list for a liver transplant because the availability of donated livers is limited. This is the reason why a liver transplant is an expensive procedure and is conducted only in rare conditions.
The liver is a critical organ in the body, including in the digestive process, detoxification process, and more. In a liver transplant operation, the patient is placed under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes an incision in the abdominal area, removes the patient’s liver, and replaces it with another healthy liver from a donor. In some conditions, a portion of the liver rather than the entire liver might be inserted.
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Types of Organ Donors for Liver Transplant in Turkey
There are various donor options for liver transplant in Turkey. Donors must have a compatible blood type and liver anatomy that is applicable for donation. Potential liver donors must not have any serious medical conditions, such as liver diabetes, disease, heart disease, or liver cancer.
Deceased donor or Liver Transplant in Turkey
The donor might be a person who is brain-dead or has had a cardiac death. Brain death generally occurs due to a large stroke, massive head trauma from a blunt injury, for instance, from a motor vehicle or a road accident, or a penetrating injury, such as a gunshot wound. The trauma causes all the brain functions to stop (making them brain-dead) but their other organs, including the liver, might endure and function normally.
Living donor for Liver Transplant in Turkey
The liver has the exclusive ability to regenerate itself and form a completely new organ. This ability of the liver allows a living person to donate a part of his/her healthy liver to a patient. The extracted liver part and the remaining part will grow over time to develop a fully functional organ. A living donor liver transplantation enables the recipient to have timely treatment and avoid some possible complications that might occur while waiting for a deceased donor transplant. Studies have also indicated a longer survival rate for the living donor organ than the deceased donor.
Good Candidate for a Liver Transplant in Turkey
Patients with chronic liver illness or irreversible damage are eligible to have this liver transplant surgery. The expert doctors analyze the MELD score, which helps them determine the severity of the liver disease and accordingly prioritize patients for a liver transplant. The general health and patient’s tolerance for the surgical procedure are also examined. The liver transplant surgical operation is not suggested if the patient has any of the following:
Extreme alcohol consumption for at least 6 months
Cancer has diffusion outside the liver
Active infections such as hepatitis
Substance abuse
Additional diseases or conditions that might increase the risks associated with surgery
A (disabling) psychiatric condition
If your surgeon in Turkey thinks you might be a good candidate for a liver transplant, he or she will refer you to a transplant center for evaluation. Transplant centers are located in certain hospitals throughout Turkey. You will have a variety of tests done by the transplant center team in Turkey.
How Is Liver Transplant Performed in Turkey?
For liver transplantation in Turkey, surgeons first determine the severity of the disease according to some tests and other factors. The most important things are whether the liver of the donor is compatible or not, and whether the blood groups are the same.
If you are suitable for the donor, it will take a few months for the liver to be ready. For the liver transplant, you will first be referred to the transplant center. You will be evaluated by the transplant team, and if there is a deceased donor, you will be placed on the national waiting list. If you have a living donor, the transplant center will plan the surgery without placing you on the waiting list.
After the donor is found, the damaged liver is removed and a healthy donor is surgically placed. Liver transplantation is usually performed between 6-8 hours and hospitalization is required for 10-20 days after surgery. Both the donor and recipient livers reach their normal sizes within 8 weeks.
At Healthy Türkiye, the transplant surgeons in our private network are among the most successful liver transplant providers for adults and children in Turkey. Healthy Türkiye carefully selects the best surgeons and hospitals to ensure patients receive reliable and effective healthcare. We are delighted to have instant access to liver transplants at affordable prices through our affiliated hospitals. By providing patients with the best care, you might be sure that together we can find all treatment options.
Important Criteria for Liver Transplant
Before entering the evaluation process for liver transplantation in Turkey, you have to fulfill some criteria. You should be free from alcohol, substance abuse, active infections, resolving psychiatric conditions, and medical inconveniences for at least 6 months. If you are at an earlier stage of liver failure, you may be interested in a living donor transplant. Since this surgical part is a liver transplant, surgery must be performed before the disease progresses further.
For liver transplantation, the blood types of the patient and the donor have to be compatible. Then the check-ups of the donor candidates start. This process includes social, psychological, and medical evaluations. Medical evaluation; consistent blood and urine examinations, tests for infectious diseases, radiological examinations, and consultation with other medical units (cardiology, chest diseases, etc.).
Many factors, such as the amount of liver the patient requires, the general health of the donor candidate, the possibility of dividing the liver appropriately, and the structure of the bile ducts, play a role in the possibility of a liver transplant surgical operation between the patient and the donor candidate.
Who Can Have a Liver Transplant?
Since liver donation is low, there is a strict evaluation process for who will receive an emergency liver transplant. You are generally considered an eligible candidate if you meet two conditions:
Without a liver transplant, your quality of life is likely to be unbearably low.
With an acceptable quality of life, the probability of survival for at least 5 years after transplantation is expected to be 50%.
Most patients who meet the criteria may be considered eligible for transplantation, even if there are a few reasons why they are not eligible.
Recovery from Liver Transplant
Independent of whether the donated liver comes from a living or deceased donor, the recipient needs the patient to stay in the hospital for at least one week after the liver transplant. After completing the liver transplantation surgery, the patient is taken to the anesthesia recovery room and then to the intensive care unit. After the condition of the patient stabilizes, the breathing tube is removed and the patient is shifted to a normal hospital room.
Multiple monitoring lines are attached to the body of the patient to keep in check the stability of vital organ systems in the body. Liver transplant recovery time varies from one to eight weeks, and the patient might need to stay in the hospital during this period. Firstly, the patient needs to visit the hospital once a month after discharge to undergo a check for transplant compatibility and other health-related issues. Later, the frequency might be decreased to once a year.
2024 Cost of Liver Transplant in Turkey
All types of medical attention, like liver transplants, are very affordable in Turkey. Many factors are also included in determining the liver transplant cost in Turkey. Your process with Healthy Türkiye will last from the time you decide to have a liver transplant in Turkey until the time you are fully recovered even if you are back home. The exact liver transplant procedure cost in Turkey depends on the type of operation involved.
The cost of a liver transplant in Turkey does not demonstrate many variations in 2024. Compared to costs in developed countries like the United States or the UK, liver transplant costs in Turkey are relatively low. So, it’s no wonder patients from across the world visit Turkey for liver transplant procedures. However, price is not the only factor affecting choices. We suggest looking for hospitals that are safe and have liver transplant reviews on Google. When people decide to seek medical help for a liver transplant, they will not only have had low-cost procedures in Turkey, but also the safest and best treatment.
At clinics or hospitals contracted with Healthy Türkiye, patients will receive the best liver transplant from specialist doctors in Turkey at affordable rates. Healthy Türkiye teams provide medical attention, liver transplant procedures, and high-quality treatment to patients at a minimum cost. When you contact Healthy Türkiye assistants, you can get free information about the cost of a liver transplant in Turkey and what this cost covers.
The price of liver transplant in Turkey is in the range of $40.000-$70.000.
Price of Liver Transplant in Turkey
Why Is Liver Transplant Cheaper in Turkey?
One of the main considerations before traveling abroad for a liver transplant is the cost-effectiveness of the whole process. Many patients think that when they add flight tickets and hotel expenses to their liver transplant costs, it will become very expensive to travel, which is not true. Contrary to popular belief, round-trip flight tickets to Turkey for a liver transplant can be booked very affordably.
In this case, assuming you are staying in Turkey for your liver transplant, your total travel expense of flight tickets and accommodation will only cost less than any other developed country, which is nothing compared to the amount that you are saving. The question “Why is a liver transplant cheaper in Turkey?” is so common among patients or people simply curious about getting their medical treatment in Turkey. When it comes to liver transplant prices in Turkey, there are 3 factors allowing cheaper prices:
The currency exchange is favorable for whoever looking for liver transplant has a euro, dollar, or pound;
The lower cost of living and cheaper overall medical expenses such as liver transplant;
For liver transplant, incentives are given by the Turkish Government to medical clinics working with international clients;
All these factors allow for cheaper liver transplant prices, but let’s be clear, these prices are cheaper for people with strong currencies (as we said, euro, dollar, Canadian dollar, pound, etc).
Every year, thousands of patients from all over the world come to Turkey to get liver transplant. The success of the healthcare system has increased in recent years, especially for liver transplant. It’s easy to find well-educated and English-speaking medical professionals in Turkey for all kinds of medical treatment such as liver transplant.
Why Choose Turkey for Liver Transplant?
Turkey’s medical industry is a world leader, frequently setting an example in several medical fields. The latest modern surgery methods have been applied by specialists in Turkey since their conception. This means that many hospitals, clinics, and surgeons have improved their craft and changed the lives of many patients who want to have their diseases treated.
Specialists are not only experienced and talented but also offer the same high-quality treatments at affordable prices as in other developed countries. Because of this, the cheaper price for liver transplants seems too good to be true, but there are logical reasons. The first reason is that the cost of private medical fees in Turkey is very low, as well as having much lower labor prices. Secondly, due to the strength of foreign currencies like the pound and euro, compared to the Turkish lira, your money goes a lot further. Therefore, Turkish business costs are substantially lower, and the motivation to present good deals to tourists is high.
Also, Turkish hospitals and clinics comply with strict safety policies that guarantee a high level of safety for patients. As an international patient, you will receive both affordable and safe treatment. Surgeons are accountable and held responsible for their actions in Turkey. So, you may expect a high degree of commitment and care.
Firstly, you can contact Healthy Türkiye and arrange your free consultation. You can ask any questions and get to know the process of how it’s all done. Healthy Türkiye, a professional healthcare provider with a patient-oriented approach, carries out reliable liver transplants in Turkey in accordance with the latest technology in JCI-accredited and fully equipped hospitals and clinics by experienced knee surgeons. The consultancy, also offers airport transfer, accommodation, and English-speaking assistant support in order to ensure the comfort of patients within the scope of health tourism. Additionally, Healthy Türkiye follows the recovery processes of our patients after the liver transplant procedure thanks to the aftercare service that we provide.
Is Liver Transplant Safe in Turkey?
Did you know Turkey is one of the most visited destinations for liver transplant in the world? It is ranked as one of the most popular tourist destinations for liver transplants. Over the years it has also come to be a very popular medical tourism destination too with many tourists coming in for liver transplant. There are so many reasons why Turkey stands out as a leading destination for liver transplants. Because Turkey is both safe and easy to travel to, with a regional airport hub and flight connections to pretty much everywhere, it is preferred for liver transplants.
The best hospitals in Turkey have experienced medical staff and specialists who have performed thousands of medical services, such as liver transplants. All procedures and coordination related to liver transplants are controlled by the Ministry of Health in accordance with the law. Over many years, the greatest progress in medicine has been observed in the field of liver transplantation. Turkey is known among foreign patients for its great opportunities in the area of liver transplantation.
To emphasize, besides the price itself, the key factor in selecting a destination for a liver transplant is certainly the standard of medical services, the hospital staff’s high level of expertise, hospitality, and the safety of the country.
All-Inclusive Packages for Liver Transplant in Turkey
Healthy Türkiye offers all-inclusive packages for liver transplants in Turkey at much lower prices. Extremely professional and experienced doctors and technicians carry out the high quality liver transplant. The cost of a liver transplant in European countries can be quite expensive, especially in the UK. Healthy Türkiye provides cheap all-inclusive packages for a long and short stay of liver transplant in Turkey. Because of many factors, we can provide you with many opportunities for your liver transplant in Turkey.
The price of liver transplant differs from other countries due to medical fees, staff labor prices, exchange rates, and market competition. You can save much more in liver transplant compared to other countries in Turkey. When you purchase a liver transplant all-inclusive package with Healthy Türkiye, our healthcare team will present a list of hotels for you to choose from. In liver transplant travel, the price of your stay will be included in the all-inclusive package cost.
In Turkey, when you purchase liver transplant all-inclusive packages through Healthy Türkiye, you will always receive VIP transfers. These are provided by Healthy Türkiye, which has contracted with highly qualified hospitals for liver transplants in Turkey. Healthy Türkiye teams will organize everything about liver transplant for you and have you picked up from the airport and safely brought to your accommodation. Once settled in the hotel, you will be transferred to and from the clinic or hospital for the liver transplant. After your liver transplant has been successfully completed, the transfer team will return you to the airport in time for your flight home. In Turkey, all packages of liver transplant can be arranged upon request, which relaxes the minds of our patients.
The Best Hospitals in Turkey for Liver Transplant
The best hospitals in Turkey for liver transplant are Memorial Hospital, Acıbadem International Hospital, and Medicalpark Hospital. These hospitals attract patients from all over the world seeking liver transplant due to their affordable prices and high success rates.
Best Doctors and Surgeons in Turkey for Liver Transplant
The best doctors and surgeons in Turkey for liver transplant are highly skilled professionals who offer specialized care and advanced procedures. With their expertise and state-of-the-art techniques, these specialists ensure that patients receive high-quality liver transplant and achieve optimal health results.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you receive the patient's donor liver, the abdomen and sides hurt for the first 7-14 days after the surgery, and there may be numbness around the surgery.
Rejection occurs in up to 30 out of 100 patients. The risk of rejection is highest in the first 6 months after transplantation. After this time, the body's immune system, the liver, is less likely to perceive it as coming from another person.
A 36-92% reduction in various memory scores may occur in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls.
Most patients stay in the hospital for seven to 10 days after a liver transplant. They then usually recover at home and usually return to work or school after about three months.
Recovery from a liver transplant may take some time, but most people will be able to return to most of their normal activities and have a good quality of life in a short time.
Excess weight gain is common after liver transplantation. Most weight gain occurs in the first six months after transplantation. Patients usually gain about 5 kg in the first year and around 10 kg at the end of three years.
Depending on the patient's condition, the transplant operation may take between 6-12 hours.
In adults, chronic liver failure due to cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C is the most common cause of transplantation. Another cause is cirrhosis, which is caused by constant alcohol abuse.
The transplanted liver is more susceptible to damage by alcohol or other chemicals. Therefore, your doctor recommends that recipients avoid excessive use of alcoholic beverages after the transplant.
You will stay in the intensive care unit for an average of two days, after which you will be transferred to a different room.
If there is a blood match for liver transplantation, each blood group can be a donor candidate for each other.
To become a living liver donor, you must be an adult between the ages of 18 and 60.
It takes about six weeks for the transplanted portion of the liver to transform into a normal-sized liver in the recipient, and the remaining liver from the donor regenerates to replace the transplanted portion.