Does Drinking Keep You OFF the Liver Transplant List?

Рет қаралды 565

6 ай бұрын

Do you or someone you know need a liver transplant because of alcoholic cirrhosis? However, you are worried because you heard that there are strict sobriety guidlines for a transplant.
While there are definitely guidelines for a liver transplant, they are becoming less focused on an absolute timeframe alone. In this video, we will discuss the biggest myth of liver transplants - how long you need to be sober before you are allowed to have a liver transplant.
Historically, transplant centers set the time criteria for sobriety at 6 months. This is not because UNOS requires that, but because centers wanted to ensure that livers were going to patients who would not return to drinking. However, some centers began to liberalize the timeframe of when they would give liver transplants. The findings and impact of that research is discussed in this video.
Whether a patient receives a liver early is still carefully considered and monitored. Patients must remain sober and advanced tests are used to corroborate that. They also go through counseling and need to show progress in greatly altering their lives. Many patients make the most of this opportunity, but some do not. Small slips can pause a patient's progress on the transplant list, but large slips will take a person completely off of the list!
SUBSCRIBE to the Channel for More Content: ?sub_confirmation=1
Be Sure to Check Out Other Relevant Content:
- Safe Alcohol Use: • Safe Alcohol Use
- Defining Alcoholism: • Defining Alcoholism
- Myths of Alcoholism: • Myths of Alcoholism
- Are These Myths of Alcoholism TRUE?: • Are These Myths of Alc...
- Alcoholic Hepatitis- What You REALLY WANT to KNOW: • Alcoholic Hepatitis- W...
- Alcoholic Hepatits - How Long Will I Live?: • Alcoholic Hepatitis | ...
- Alcoholic Hepatitis - What are the Symptoms and Diagnosis: • Alcoholic Hepatitis | ...
DISCLAIMER: While I am a Gastroenterologist, I am not acting as your Gastroenterologist. The information provided on this channel is intended to be general educational content and not directed towards any one individual. If you believe you have a medical condition that deserves attention please seek care from your healthcare provider. If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, call 911.

Пікірлер: 15

@kchathaway7533 3 ай бұрын

I want to thank you and let everyone that watches your video know you are an Angel, after contacting you and getting the information from you Mayo hospital didn’t want her to fly to Texas so they excepted her and she has been placed on the national transplant list and if it wasn’t for you and this video none of that would have been possible. We were told by other hospitals to go home that she had two weeks to live and today she was excepted for a life saving transplant and it will happen any day now. You will be in our prayers forever and I want to thank you and yes you are our Angel forever Sir.

@MarkCooperMD 3 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing and I’m really happy you were able to be evaluated and listed. What great news to receive!

@redmesa2975 5 ай бұрын

Just saw a newsletter from University of Colorado Hospital. They are now experiencing record numbers of alcoholic liver transplants. During the pandemic, many people drank heavily, so now they are getting transplants. Unreal. I spent 14 years on “ the list “ for PSC. Was always told I would need to find a living donor. 😡 Was taken off the list 6 years ago, due to being stable & very low MELD scores.

@MarkCooperMD 5 ай бұрын

The good thing about a MELD score is it allocates organs to those in most need. So it’s a good thing to not have a high score. However your situation is not uncommon for PSC. Some centers have notable living donor programs. There’s also been discussion of exemptions if the PSC patient has recurrent Biliary infections.

@mykiea5156 3 ай бұрын

My cousin won’t stop drinking and she has stage one cirrhosis , and I don’t know what to do , she’s only 36

@ambernikd2091 Ай бұрын

I just underwent an unexpected, speedy liver transplant after experiencing jaundice - After coming down from a chest cold that lasted 3 days. A virus killed my liver and it was diagnosed as an idiopathic disease. If cause wasn’t clear, must one still refrain from alcohol

@kaelhooten8468 5 ай бұрын

I just found your colonoscopy tips video. I just turned 40 last week, and unfortunately a few days prior had an emergency hospitalization due to severe upper GI pain, fever, vomiting w/ blood, digested blood stools. The usual. I’ve had a long history of “bowel troubles” and I guess this is how go, often. So far my CT was normal, I have mild fatty liver that my docs say is typical for my age, fecal was negative for any pathogens, no recent viral infections, H pylori negative. Pancreas is fine. Gal bladder is fine. No history of acid reflux. Prep’ing today for COL+UENDO tomorrow. Wish me luck.

@MarkCooperMD 5 ай бұрын

Good luck. FYI I wouldn’t call any amount of fatty liver normal, especially at your age.

@kaelhooten8468 5 ай бұрын

@@MarkCooperMD yeah just parroting the docs, really. Things went well!! Your extra prep advice got me a BBPS score of 8, with a prescribed prep solution (nuly tuly, I’m at MichiganMedicine). Doc’s said I did a good job at prep, so, thanks! Bowel was clear, duodenum was clear. Stomach was a not. So, waiting on results.

@MarkCooperMD 5 ай бұрын

You’re at U of M?

@kchathaway7533 4 ай бұрын

Watching your video really hit home for my wife and I, we live in Phoenix Arizona and she is currently having liver failure due to drinking, she was unaware of her issues until she woke up one morning with yellowing in her eyes and skin, we went to the emergency room and was notified that she has cirrhosis of the liver and will need a transplant but is not a candidate until the six month mark of sobriety which would be fine except her health and liver may not last that long, she has never had any prior hospital visits no DUI’s made every scheduled appointments and has a steady job and hasn’t drank any alcohol since finding out about her liver failure which has been three months but the hospital still will not place her on the transplant list even knowing her health is declining. I have sent medical records to another hospital and without even seeing her in person they remarked that they follow the “ six month sobriety “. Why steps can I take to help save her?

@MarkCooperMD 4 ай бұрын

I would think Mayo Phoenix may consider her case

@kchathaway7533 4 ай бұрын

That was the hospital that received her medical records but I am praying that once she is there they would reconsider

@MarkCooperMD 4 ай бұрын

I believe Methodist Houston is open to this. UTSW in Dallas is. But it’s a case by case issue. I would think the program in New Mexico would be more open as well.

@kchathaway7533 4 ай бұрын

Thank you 🙏🏻