The Day of Liver Donation Surgery

Several steps will be taken on the day of liver donation surgery before your operation begins. Your healthcare team will apply EKG patches to your chest, arms, or legs to keep track of your heart's electrical activity throughout the procedure. Multiple IV tubes will also be placed in different parts of your body to give you medications and fluids on the day of liver donation surgery.

The Day of Liver Donation Surgery: A Summary

On the day of

liver donation surgery, you will be moved to either a preoperative room or directly to the operating room. If you feel anxious or scared, as many patients do, you can ask for medication to help you relax.

To prepare you for surgery, patches will be put on the skin of your chest, arms, or legs for an electrocardiogram, or EKG. An EKG shows the electrical activity of your heart.

Your anesthesia team will place a number of tubes and intravenous (IV) lines in different parts of your body. These will be used during and after your surgery. Exactly where and when these tubes and IV lines are placed will vary, but most of them will be placed after you are asleep in the operating room.

Your healthcare professional will use your intravenous fluid line to give you medications and fluids during the surgery. You will also receive antibiotics so that there is less of a chance for infections. A second IV, called an arterial line, may be put into one of your arteries. This usually goes in your right wrist, and it helps check your heart rate and blood pressure. A third IV may be put in a vein in your neck or upper chest.