A liver transplant is advised when alternative treatment options are no longer effective in cases of end-stage chronic liver disease, liver failure, or liver cancer. Patients with abrupt liver failure of a previously healthy liver may also benefit from this course of therapy.

The following signs and indicators point to the necessity for a liver transplant:

• The accumulation of bilirubin in the blood manifests as yellowing of the skin and eyes.
• Abdominal fluid retention, or swelling in the belly
• Acute and persistent weakness, malaise, and exhaustion.
• Pruritus, or continuous itching
• Easy bleeding and bruising as a result of the liver’s reduced synthesis of clotting proteins.
• Confusion, amnesia, or altered mental state (hepatic encephalopathy)
• Hepatic coma, portal hypertension, or liver malignancy