There are generally no strict upper age limits for liver transplant recipients, but older patients (often over 60-65) undergo more rigorous evaluation due to increased health risks, with many centers now accepting candidates up to 70 or older if very healthy, while younger recipients (adults 18+) and pediatric patients (from infancy) are common, though ideal living donors are typically 18-55/60 years old. Eligibility depends heavily on overall health, comorbidity severity, social support, and frailty, not just age.
Is there an age limit for liver transplantation? The age limit is individualized as it varies with a patient's overall health condition. However, it is rare to offer liver transplant to someone greater than 70 years old.
People needing liver or heart transplants often need to wait nine or more months. Recipients are assessed for compatibility to the donor (not just blood type, but for six different tissue antigen subtypes as well as general body size – e.g. putting an adult heart into a small child is not possible).
Common reasons why a liver transplant may not be the right treatment for you include: You are too ill or frail to cope with the surgery and aftercare. You have recently had cancer, a serious infection, a heart attack or a stroke. You may struggle taking the immunosuppressant medicines after a liver transplant.
Throughout the United States, patients waiting for liver transplants are prioritized based on the severity of their illness, as measured by what's called the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The score uses blood tests to determine how urgently you need a liver transplant within the next three months.
You may qualify as a liver transplant candidate if: A liver transplant could improve your quality of life. You do not have other diseases that cannot be treated or are not too sick to likely survive the transplant surgery.
You can donate a kidney, a piece of your liver, and certain other organs and tissues while alive. About 6,500 living donation transplants take place each year. Unlike deceased donors, a living donor can decide who to donate their organ to, helping a recipient get an organ transplant faster.
Average Liver Wait Time
You could wait for several months or years. It's impossible to predict how long you will have to wait. You may feel sick and still have a low MELD score. Learn more about the liver transplant waitlist and liver matches on the UNOS website.
You can't live without a working liver. If your liver stops working correctly, you may need a transplant. A liver transplant may be advised if you have end-stage liver disease (chronic liver failure). This is a serious, life-threatening liver disease.
How long will you stay in hospital? You can expect to be in hospital for 7-14 days after a liver transplant. The first few days are spent in the intensive care unit to allow the extensive monitoring that is required.
Traditionally, being liver transplant candidate requires “six months of abstinence” from alcohol. However, the so-called “six-month rule” may not save some of life especially in severe ALHep patients. We validated the impact of the “six-month rule” on post-transplant outcomes.
Coverage details
Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care. covers necessary tests, labs, and exams, and generally also covers: Services for heart, lung, kidney, pancreas, intestine, and liver transplants.
Chronic rejection has widely varied effects on different organs. At 5 years post-transplant, 80% of lung transplants, 60% of heart transplants and 50% of kidney transplants are affected, while liver transplants are only affected 10% of the time.
According to the database, the centers with the quickest transplant rates from deceased donors between January 1 and December 31, 2024 are as follows.
Other treatment options
It is a major operation and comes with surgical risks, like bleeding. Infections and bile duct complications are common after a liver transplant.
The earlier you find the problem and remove the cause of the liver damage, the better the chances of your liver healing. Sometimes liver damage can be caused by a virus or autoimmune condition. There are effective treatments for these conditions. It's never too late.
Complications of a liver transplant can include rejection, an increased risk of infection, graft failure, biliary conditions and a higher risk of developing certain conditions – including some types of cancer.
A donor liver is transplanted in the same place as your own liver. This involves the removal of the diseased liver and replacement with the donated liver. The operation time varies depending on complexity of the procedure. It is often between 5-8 hours.
The list is managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a private, nonprofit agency that works under contract with the federal government. There are more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list with the vast majority, over 92,000, waiting for a kidney.
The first signs of a bad liver often include persistent fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, and a dull ache or tenderness in the upper right abdomen. Other subtle indicators can be general malaise, feeling unwell, or mild digestive issues like bloating or fatty stools, which might be overlooked but signal the liver isn't processing nutrients properly.
Your belly and side will be sore for the first 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. You also may have some numbness around the cut (incision) the doctor made. It is common to feel tired while you are healing. It may take 3 to 6 months or longer for your energy to fully return.
But it's harder to match a liver than a kidney. Beyond blood type, the size and anatomy of the donor liver must be a good match for the recipient. This narrows down the list of acceptable transplants—only about 20 to 25% of those on the waiting list have a suitable match.
Lungs are the most difficult organ to transplant because they are highly susceptible to infections in the late stages of the donor's life.