Information for the public
What has NICE said?
What has NICE said?
Living-donor liver transplantation is safe enough and works well enough for use in the NHS for suitable donors and recipients, providing that legal and regulatory requirements are met.
NICE is asking health professionals to send information about all donors and recipients who have the procedure and what happens to them afterwards to a database at the NHS Blood and Transplant UK transplant registry so that the safety of the procedure and how well it works can be checked over time.
What does this mean for me?
Liver donors and recipients face significant risks. Your health professional should fully explain what is involved in having this procedure and discuss the possible benefits and risks with you. You should have screening and counselling about the risks of the procedure. You should also be told how to find more information about the procedure and provided with clear written information, including information from the Human Tissue Authority.
An interview with an independent assessor will be arranged, as required by the Human Tissue Authority. This is to make sure that you are not being persuaded to have the procedure against your will, that no reward is involved and that you have enough information to make a decision.
All of this should happen before you decide whether you want to have this procedure or not.
Your health professional should ask you if details of your procedure can be collected.
Other comments from NICE
NICE said that donors must be followed up after the procedure to check their health, including their psychological wellbeing.