Abstract
Liver transplantation is the only therapeutic option offering definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease, acute liver failure, and several other diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma. Improved outcomes reflect advances in the selection of potential candidates, surgical technique, postoperative care, and immunosuppression. Live-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) offers some important advantages over deceased-donor liver transplantation, but its widespread applicability has been hampered by a high risk of complications in the donor and recipient and even donor mortality; therefore LDLT currently represents only a small fraction of the total number of liver transplants performed yearly. Long-term care of liver transplant recipients is critical to the success of liver transplantation and should focus on timely recognition of complications, management of immunosuppression, treatment of comorbid conditions, and preventive health.