A liver transplant replaces a diseased liver with a healthy liver. A new liver could prolong your life, treat the complications of end-stage liver disease, and provide a better quality of life than you would have without treatment.
Liver transplant criteria
Anyone who meets the following criteria may be eligible for a liver transplant.
• End stage chronic liver disease
• Acute liver failure
• Certain types of cancer
MELD score
If you are considered a candidate for liver transplant, a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD, MELD-Na) score will be calculated. This score helps determine how sick you are and how urgently you need a transplant. Your medical team will use simple lab tests to calculate your score.
This value changes over time and is recalculated as your condition changes so it accurately reflects your health status.
A MELD score less than 15 generally means you would do better without a transplant, and a score greater than 15 means you would likely do better with one. The MELD score does not consider every situation.
MELD scores also help determine who is prioritized from the waitlist, but your score is not the only factor.
Waitlist factors
- Blood type (O, A, B, AB)
- MELD score
- Body size (relative to the donor)
- Distance from transplant program to donor hospital
- Other factors