What does a liver transplantation cost?

The costs of a liver transplantation are paid by the health insurance company of the organ recipient. This includes the costs of the surgical procedure, as well as pre- and post-operative treatment. The costs of a transplant can be up to 200,000 euros.

Indication – Factors that may make a liver transplant necessary

The most common reason for a liver transplant in Germany is a previous chronic disease of the liver, cirrhosis of the liver. This is mainly caused by: Even children may need a liver transplantation, e.g. in the case of

Alcohol abuse
Chronic viral hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts)
Metabolic diseases
Liver cancer
Fulminate liver failure e.g. after poisoning
Congenital obstruction of the bile duct (most common reason in children)
Congenital liver fibrosis (scarring of the liver tissue)
Hereditary metabolic diseases

Contraindications – factors that speak against transplantation

Blood Poisoning
Severe heart-lung concomitant diseases
Persistent alcohol consumption (if a patient needs a new liver due to alcohol abuse, the liver must be dry for at least 6 months before he or she is eligible for surgery)
Tumors in other organs

Is it possible to perform liver transplantation in case of metastases?

There are tumors that cause metastases in the liver.Colon cancer, for example, more often leads to the development of inoperable metastases in the liver. However, a liver transplantation carries risks. It is a major operation involving suppression of the immune system (immunosuppression) to prevent rejection of the organ. Whether a liver transplantation makes sense in the case of metastases must be discussed individually with the treating physician.

Is there an age limit for liver transplantation?

There is no age limit for liver transplantation. This means that basically older people and children are also eligible for liver transplantation. However, the same conditions apply to older people as to younger patients.

However, the German transplantation law states that the chances of success must be taken into account for inclusion on the waiting list. This means, among other things, the survival of the organ recipient, the long-term liver function and the change/improvement of the quality of life. The survival is influenced by concomitant diseases. If there is a pronounced cardiac insufficiency, this can have a negative effect on life expectancy. Elderly people are relatively more frequently affected by concomitant diseases than younger patients.