How is the liver procured from the donor?
Removing the liver from a donor is as delicate and complicated as any major abdominal procedure. This surgery is performed by certified surgeons who are credentialed by many medical organizations and local agencies. In Michigan, only certified transplant surgeons can do a liver procurement operation. In the first step, an anesthesiologist will assist in assuring a stable blood pressure from the donor. The surgeon starts the operation with the plan to remove the liver with attached vessels. The liver has several attachments: • Two vessels feed it – the hepatic artery-HA and portal vein-PV • A large vessel (emptying blood from the kidneys and legs) also goes through the liver and has to be included with the resection (vena cava-VC) Because the liver makes bile that is stored in the gallbladder and then empties into the intestine through a bile duct, the gallbladder and bile duct must be included. The liver is removed with all the attachments and the celiac trunk. The celiac trunk is the
