How is the care for the patient undergoing liver transplantation different from the care of a regular surgical patient?
A liver transplant surgery is a critical process as it is the biggest organ in the human body. Patients undergoing surgery need special attention and advice after an organ transplant. The probable liver transplant complications are acute graft rejection, vascular thrombosis, and binary leak or strictures (Coffey et al., 2017). Therefore, a patient with a liver transplant requires much attention from doctors during the surgery process and after the surgery to detect the complications mentioned.
What is patient teaching needed after a patient receives a liver transplant?
Patients who successfully receives liver transplant must be taught the predisposing factors that lead to liver damage. The patient should be cautioned and informed of what elements caused his liver problems. Moreover, patients are cautioned to change or stop that habits that predispose the liver to chronic damage. Doctors must also talk about the large number of patients registered on the waiting list for a liver transplant, thereby instilling fear that would make them change the habits that predispose the liver to problems.
Should the patient with alcoholic cirrhosis be a candidate for a liver transplant?
No. Alcohol drinkers know the effects and comply with the warnings always written on the surface of the bottles; the manufacturers always warn drinkers and alcoholic addicts that too much consumption of the substance is harmful to their lives (Lackner & Tiniakos, 2019). However, those who drink alcohol usually ignore the message as if it is a joke and consume a lot of alcohol repeatedly, knowing that they damage their liver. Therefore, I find it unworthy for an alcoholic addict to receive a liver transplant over a patient whose liver complications resulted from unavoidable conditions.
Should government funds be used in the care of patients with cirrhosis who continue to consume alcohol?
No, they should not. The practices are unnecessary because alcohol consumption is among the predisposing factors that put one in danger of liver complications. Therefore, the government should not fund the care of patients with liver cirrhosis who are addicted to alcohol. As such, it would be a recurring waste of public resources because, over time, the patients would be re-admitted to hospitals for the same treatment due to liver cirrhosis.
References
Coffey, J. C., Wanis, K. N., Monbaliu, D., Gilbo, N., Selzner, M., Vachharajani, N. & Hernandez‐Alejandro, R. (2017). The influence of functional warm ischemia time on DCD liver transplant recipients’ outcomes. Clinical Transplantation, 31(10), e13068.
Lackner, C., & Tiniakos, D. (2019). Fibrosis and alcohol-related liver disease. Journal of hepatology, 70(2), 294-304. Web.