Liver transplantation surgeries are yet to gain popularity in the country when compared to other organ transplantations, according to Dr.Krishna Rau, President of the Asian Society of Hepato-Bilary Pancreatic Surgery (ASHBP).

At present, many American hospitals perform liver transplantation surgeries and the success rate is about 80 percent there. In India, only very few corporate hospitals have performed the liver transplantation. The success rate was low at 50 percent in most of the cases and mortality rate was very high.

While patients in countries like U.S.A can afford to go for liver transplantation as insurance companies and their Governments bear the expenses of healthcare, the surgery and post operation expenses are unaffordable to a major section of the patients in India due to the high costs involved in performing the surgery.

Liver transplantation is a complex surgery that requires a minimum of four to five hours and demands expertise of the doctors. Since liver has a capacity to grow, the donor could be any person, not necessarily blood relation, noted Dr. Krishna Rau.

Patients suffering from chronic ailments related to liver and pancreas are on the rise in the country, and consumption of alcohol is the major cause for diseases like liver cirrhosis. However, mortality rate has come down to 1.80 percent from the earlier 40 percent deaths due to chronic liver diseases.

If liver diseases are uncared and untreated for long time, it could lead to cancer. Cancer in liver can be treated with laser, radiation and some conventional methods. Laparoscopy or minimal invasive surgery is the best-suited treatment method to cure most of the chronic liver disorders, said Dr. Rau.