You will have a general anaesthetic. Because the operation is so complicated it may take between six to ten hours to complete. Removing your own liver is time consuming, especially if you have had previous operations.

  

       
  The surgeon will make an incision in your upper abdomen. This is called a "Mercedes Benz" incision. Your liver will be removed, first by severing, or cutting, the ligaments that hold it in the abdominal cavity and then by clamping all the major blood vessels to prevent bleeding. The new/donor liver is inserted and the vessels are sutured together. The clamps are removed from the major vessels and the new liver begins to receive blood again.    
 

 

    
 

As with your blood vessels, your bile ducts and the donor liver bile ducts are joined to allow drainage of the biliary system. To help the drainage, a "bile tube" may be inserted into the bile duct. The bile will drain into a bag that is attached to the end of the drainage tube. This will stay in place until just before you are discharged, or in some cases for a few days after discharge.

    
 

 

    
  Your abdomen will be closed with sutures or metal clips, and covered with a large dressing.