Where do the livers that are donated for liver transplantation surgery come from?
Livers are donated, with the consent of the next of kin, from individuals who have had brain death. Brain death is usually the result of a head injury or a brain hemorrhage. When such a donor is identified, a network of skilled professionals connected by computers contact the transplant centers and makes arrangements to retrieve whatever organs may be donated. Frequently, this involves a team of skilled professionals from transplant centers flying to the donor hospital to remove the organs and return with them for the transplant operation.
