Liver Transplant for Hepatitis B
Topic Overview
During a liver transplant, your damaged liver is removed
and replaced with a healthy one from an organ donor.
Liver transplantation is done to treat long-term (chronic)
hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection only after all other treatments have not worked,
because transplanted organs can become reinfected with HBV.
- Recurrent infections are often severe, leading to
rapid failure of the transplanted liver.
-
High doses of
hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) are given to try to prevent
reinfection.
- Short-term pre- and
post-transplantation therapy with a nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), such as entecavir, lamivudine, and tenofovir, may help
prevent reinfection of a transplanted liver.1
- Interferon and peginterferon are not used to
prevent reinfection of a transplanted liver.1
Liver transplants typically are done
at large medical centers. Transplantation is very expensive.
References
Citations
-
Malet PF (2008). Chronic hepatitis. In DC
Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 4, chap.
8. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Steven L. Flamm, MD, MD - Gastroenterology |
|
Last Revised
|
November 11, 2010 |
Last Revised:
November 11, 2010
Malet PF (2008). Chronic hepatitis. In DC
Dale, DD Federman, eds., ACP Medicine, section 4, chap.
8. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
