Liver
Learn about MELD and PELD
The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) is a formula used to assign priority to most liver transplant candidates age 12 and older based upon their medical urgency.
The Pediatric End-Stage Liver Disease model (PELD) is a formula used to assign priority to most liver transplant candidates younger than age 12 based upon their medical urgency.
Patient brochure & FAQs
Find information for patients and families to understand and navigate organ donation and transplantation below.
Questions and answers for transplant candidates about:
The liver
Functions of the liver
The liver is one of the largest and most complex organs in the body. It supports life in a number of ways, including:
- Helping process carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and stores vitamins.
- Turning nutrients absorbed from food in the intestines into materials that the body needs for life, such as factors that help the blood clot.
- Secreting bile to help digest fats.
- Breaking down toxic substances in the blood, such as drugs and alcohol.
Liver transplant procedures
A liver transplant from a deceased donor most often involves the whole liver. But in some cases the liver may be divided into segments to transplant.
- A liver that matches the recipient in other ways, but is too large, may be reduced into a smaller segment. This allows it to fit the patient’s size needs.
- In some cases, a liver from a deceased donor can be split (divided into two segments). Each segment is transplanted into a different person, allowing one donor to help two recipients.
A liver from a living donor will always involve a segment of the organ, not the whole liver. The liver can regenerate and increase in size. This can allow the donor to regain full liver capacity, while the transplanted segment can also grow to fit the recipient’s needs.
Reasons for liver transplants
| Liver diagnosis categories | Liver diagnoses |
|---|---|
Non-cholestatic Cirrhosis | Laennec’s Cirrhosis (Alcoholic) Laennec’s Cirrhosis and Postnecrotic Cirrhosis Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type C Cirrhosis: Cryptogenic–Idiopathic Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Autoimmune-Lupoi Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type B-Hbsag+ Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type Non A Non B Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type B and C Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Other Specify Cirrhosis: Drug/Industrial Exposure Other Specify Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type B and D Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type A Cirrhosis: Postnecrotic–Type D PNC CAH |
| Cholestatic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis | Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) Sec Biliary Cirrhosis: Other Specify Sec Biliary Cirrhosis: Caroli’s Disease Sec Biliary Cirrhosis: Choledochol Cyst Cholestatic Liver Disease: Other Specify Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): Other Specify Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): Ulcerative Colitis Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): No Bowel Disease Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC): Crohn’s Disease |
| Biliary Atresia | Biliary Atresia: Other Specify Biliary Atresia: Extrahepatic Biliary Atresia: Alagille’s Syndrome Biliary Atresia: Hypoplasia |
| Acute Hepatic Necrosis (AHN) | AHN: Etiology Unknown AHN: Type B- Hbsag+ AHN: Drug Other Specify AHN: Non-A Non-B AHN: Type C AHN: Type A AHN: Other Specify AHN: Type B and C AHN: Type B and D AHN: Type D Hepatitis C: Chronic or Acute Hepatitis B: Chronic or Acute |
| Metabolic Diseases | Metabolic Disease: Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Defic A-1-A Metabolic Disease: Wilson’s Disease Metabolic Disease: Hemochromatosis-Hemosiderosis Metabolic Disease: Other Specify Metabolic Disease: Tyrosinemia Metabolic Disease: Primary Oxalosis/Oxaluria-Hyper Metabolic Disease: Glycemic Storage Disease Type IV (GSD-IV) Metabolic Disease: Glycemic Storage Disease Type I (GSD-I) Metabolic Disease: Hyperlipidemia-II-Homozygous Hy |
| Malignant Neoplasms | Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Hepatoma–Hepatocellular Carcinoma Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Hepatoma (HCC) and Cirrhosis Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Cholangiocarcinoma (CH-CA) Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Hepatoblastoma (HBL) Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Hemangioendothelioma-Hemangiosarcoma Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Other Specify Primary Liver Malignancy (PLM): Fibrolamellar (FL-HC) Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangioma-Biliary Tr) Secondary Hepatic Malignancy Other Specify |
| Other | Other Specifiy Cystic Fibrosis Budd-Chiari Syndome TPN/Hyperalimentation Ind Liver Disease Neonatal Hepatitis Other Specify Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis Familial Cholestasis: Other Specify Familial Cholestatis: Byler’s Disease Trauma Other Specify Graft vs. Host Disease Secondary to Non-Liiver Transplant Chronic or Acute Benign Tumor: Polycystic Liver Disease Benign Tumor: Other Specify Benign Tumor: Hepatic Adenoma |
