Liver Transplant at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla
When the liver can no longer do its essential work, a transplant may be the only route back to health. CritiCare Asia Hospitals is a liver transplant hospital in Mumbai where patients and families are given a plain account of what the process involves before any decision is made. The liver filters toxins, aids digestion and helps the blood to clot, so restoring it safely needs care at every stage and not only during surgery. At the Kurla centre, patients can be evaluated for liver transplant in Kurla, Mumbai, covering assessment, surgery and long-term monitoring.
Symptoms of Advanced Liver Disease
Liver damage often stays quiet for years. As reserve runs out, signs begin to show:
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Swelling of the abdomen or legs from fluid build-up
- Persistent tiredness and loss of appetite
- Dark urine and pale stools
- Easy bruising or bleeding
- Itching that has no other cause
- Confusion, drowsiness or changes in sleep
- Vomiting blood, which needs emergency care
Any of these in a person with known liver disease should be reviewed without delay.
Understanding Liver Failure and When Transplant Is Considered
Liver failure can come on suddenly or build over years. In chronic disease, the liver compensates for damage until little reserve is left. Transplant is generally considered when function is severely and irreversibly damaged, and other treatment is no longer enough. Conditions that can lead to this point include:
- Chronic viral hepatitis, a long infection that damages liver tissue, often without early symptoms
- Cirrhosis, scarring from prolonged damage of any cause
- Alcohol-related liver disease, from fatty liver to advanced cirrhosis
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, linked to obesity and diabetes
- Acute liver failure, a sudden severe loss of function that needs urgent evaluation
Types of Liver Transplant
The type of operation depends on donor availability, urgency, and the patient's medical circumstances.
- Living donor transplant
a portion of a healthy liver from a compatible living donor is transplanted, and both the donor's and the recipient's liver segments regrow over time - Deceased donor transplant
a liver from the deceased donor programme, allocated by medical urgency and compatibility, often the route when no suitable living donor is available
Whichever applies, the team explains how the process works, what documents are needed and what costs to expect.
Who Is Eligible for Transplantation
Eligibility is decided through a full evaluation of the severity of liver disease, general health and any condition that could affect the operation. Blood tests, imaging, a heart assessment and a psychological evaluation are usual, along with donor compatibility testing where a living donor is involved. The evaluation also considers how well the patient is likely to cope with major surgery and with lifelong medication afterwards, since both shape long-term results.
Before, During and After the Transplant
Before: The patient undergoes detailed medical evaluation. If a living donor is involved, the donor is assessed in parallel to confirm that donation is suitable and safe. Counselling covers surgery and the months of recovery that follow.
During: The diseased liver is removed and replaced with the donor liver or segment, in a complex operation requiring close coordination between surgical and anaesthesia teams. Because the liver governs clotting and metabolism, monitoring continues throughout.
After: Early recovery focuses on liver function, infection risk and signs of rejection. Immunosuppressant medicines help the body accept the new liver. The first few weeks show how the body is responding, so monitoring is closest then. Follow-up continues for months with liver transplant specialists, adjusting medication to prevent rejection while keeping side effects low.
Liver Transplant at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla
Care at Kurla is delivered by a coordinated team of hepatology, transplant surgery, anaesthesia and critical care, working from the same clinical picture at each stage. After surgery, protocols aim to reduce infection risk and catch early complications, and follow-up continues well past the hospital stay.
Patients and families are told in simple terms what recovery and long-term care actually involve, including the likely costs. If a transplant is being discussed for you or a family member, book a consultation with the transplant team at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Kurla, and ask for the evaluation plan and estimate in writing.