liver transplantation, a treatment for end-stage hepatic dysfunction in which a donor liver is matched in size and blood group to the recipient. The transplanted organ may be introduced as an auxiliary liver or as a total replacement. The procedure requires five anastomoses and many units of blood. Because of a shortage of child-size livers, pediatric transplants often are performed with a segment of an adult liver. Common postoperative complications include acute graft rejection, infection, hepatic complications (bile leakage, abscess formation, hepatic thrombosis), acute renal failure, giant emphysematous blebs, and fungal infections.
