What is a Liver Transplant Procedure?
A liver transplant procedure or surgery is one of the most sophisticated techniques to alleviate severe liver damage.
The procedure is helpful in cases when you have a severe condition such as end-stage liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, or MASLD (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease) among others.
Types of Liver Transplant
There are mainly two types of liver transplant:
i. Living Donor Liver Transplant: A healthy donor (someone related to the patient) donates a portion of their healthy liver to the patient with liver failure. This is significantly advantageous as it cuts down on the wait time and has better outcomes for the recipient.
ii. Deceased Liver Transplant: A healthy liver from a brain-dead indivdiual is donated (with consent from the deceased person’s family after counseling) to a recipient. The donor and recipient’s blood types are matched for compatibility.
Liver Transplant Procedure
The procedure for liver transplant looks somewhat like this in both types of the transplant:
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Pre-transplant evaluation and preparation
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Surgical process for organ replacement
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Post-transplant care
Step 1: Pre-transplant evaluation and preparation
This is an important step of the procedure and determines the patient's eligibility for the surgery. It involves the following steps:
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Assessment - The transplant team will thoroughly evaluate your condition and conduct tests such as screening and blood tests to understand the disease severity and overall health and suitability for transplantation.
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Tests - There are various tests such as imaging scans, blood tests, and heart, kidney and lung function assessments. Most importantly, human leukocyte antigen, liver function test in both transplant types. This helps doctors understand the patient’s eligibility to plan their procedure.
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Donor matching - This is an essential step that helps expedite the process. If there’s a lack of a living donor, the patient is put on the waiting list until a compatible donor is made available.
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Living donor - If you have a living donor available, then their health assessment to ensure their availability is conducted.
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Overall assessment and counselling - They will then conduct a social and mental support system to ensure they can manage post-transplant recovery and care. In addition, they provide counselling on diet, lifestyle changes and medications to prepare for the transplant.
Difference between the procedure for both types of the transplants:
Living Donor Liver Transplant
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Deceased Donor Liver Transplant
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Living donor undergoes surgery to remove a portion of their liver. The recipient receives the donated portion through another surgery.
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Brain-dead donor’s family is contacted and counseled for the organ donation, once they consent - only then does the surgery proceeds.
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Portion of healthy liver is transplanted into the recipient. Both donor and recipient regenrate the liver in some time after the surgery.
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Entire healthy liver is transplanted.
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Health assessments for both donor and recipient are conducted - HLA typing, LFT.
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Only blood types are matched as the entire liver is transplanted.
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Step 2: Surgical Procedure
If you are progressing to this step, then it is likely that the above step was successful. Thus, at this point, you have the medical clearance for the surgery, a healthy donor and a lifestyle that has prepared you for the surgery.
Here’s all that it entails:
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Anaesthesia - General anaesthesia for the procedure to go smoothly.
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Surgical process - This is the entire surgical process that includes making an incision at the target site (abdomen), liver removal and donor liver placement. This is followed by the reconnection, closure and drains to remove excess fluids.
Step 3: Post-transplant care
After the procedure is complete, they are regularly monitored in the intensive care unit. This can continue for days after the surgery, depending on the patient’s condition.
It also includes:
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Medications to control infection and prevent the body from rejecting the new liver. (
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Regular blood tests, and imaging scans for monitoring their liver function and detecting any signs of complications or rejection.
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The patient gradually recovers and is sent home after the successful integration of the donor organ.
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Regular follow-ups are pre-scheduled to ensure the long-term success of the surgery and monitor the patient’s progress.
Liver Transplant Costs Across Different Types and Cities in India
As per the data in 2025, the average cost of Liver transplant is around 15,00,000 INR or more depending on various factors as discussed below. Depending on the type of liver transplant and the severity of the recipient’s liver damage, the cost varies.
Let’s have a look at the three main types of liver transplant surgery and their respective costs:
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Orthotopic Transplant - Orthotopic transplant is the most common type of liver transplant. In this procedure:
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The liver is taken from a recently deceased person and then transplanted into the recipient patient’s body after removing the infected liver.
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The cost for an orthotopic liver transplant in India is between INR 14,00,000 to 22,00,000 (USD 16,000 - 25,000).
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Living Donor Transplant - In this procedure, only a part of the liver is taken from the living donor and then transplanted into the patient.
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Both parts of the liver, in the donor and the patient, then regenerate to form two complete livers.
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In this case, the living donor has to be a family member or a blood relative to be eligible to donate a part of their liver as per Indian law.
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The cost of Living Donor Liver Transplant in India is between INR 17,00,000 to 25,00,000 (USD 22,000 - 30,000).
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Split type of Liver Transplant - During this transplant the healthy liver comes from a deceased person.
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The liver is then split and transplanted into an adult and a child. The transplanted livers then regenerate and form complete livers.
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This procedure can save two lives with one donor liver.
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This type of liver transplant in India can cost you around INR 13,00,000 to 20,00,000 (USD 17,000 - 26,000).
Let’s have a look at the city-wise cost of the procedure for a better understanding.
Liver Transplant Cost in different Indian cities
The best Liver Transplant hospital in India will be located in metropolitan cities. The cost of the procedure usually ranges differently in different cities across India.
Cities
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Cost (INR)
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Cost (USD)
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Delhi
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Rs. 17,00,000 to 25,00,000
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$ 19,000 to $ 28,000
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Gurugram
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Rs. 18,80,000 to 25,00,000
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$ 20,500 to $ 28,000
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Mumbai
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Rs. 24,00,000 to 30,00,000
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$ 27,000 to $ 34,000
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Chennai
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Rs. 23,00,000 to 27,00,000
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$ 26,000 to $ 31,000
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Bangalore
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Rs. 24,50,000 to 30,00,000
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$ 27,000 to $ 34,000
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Kolkata
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Rs. 15,00,000 to 24,00,000
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$ 17,500 to $ 40,000
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Please note that the above liver transplant cost provided is an average and does not include related costs. The final cost can vary depending on several factors - to get a personalized quote, get in touch today!
Yapita Health provides the most affordable liver transplant in India with its services available in all metropolitan cities across India. You can request a quote for liver transplant costs in Delhi, Mumbai, and any other cities using the form available at the top of this page.
Why Should A Foreigner Choose India For Their Liver Transplant Surgery?
In recent years, India has emerged as a destination for modern healthcare facilities with the latest medical devices. Most of these modern facilities have a well experienced skilled liver transplant surgeons who have performed multiple liver transplants with the high success rates.
For foreign healthcare travelers, the liver surgery cost in India ranges between 18000 USD and 40000 USD whereas the cost of a liver transplant in other countries like the USA is approximately 5,00,000 USD.
Therefore, liver transplants in India are way cheaper than in any other country.
Below is the comparison list of liver transplant costs between different countries.
Countries
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Cost Range In USD
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India
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$ 16,000 to $ 25,000
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USA
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$ 3,50,000 to $ 8,70,000
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Germany
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$ 1,0,000 to $ 2,15,000
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United Kingdom
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$ 1,30,000 to $ 1,60,000
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Singapore
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$ 1,20,000 to $ 2,30,000
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Turkey
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$ 50,000 to $ 100,000
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Thailand
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$ 50,500 to $ 95,500
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