Department of Surgery

Division of Solid Organ Transplantation

Procedures

Liver Transplant Surgery

What Does the Liver Do?

Guide to Liver Transplant • What Does the Liver Do? • Liver Diseases • What is a Liver Transplant? • Is a Transplant Right For You? • The Transplant Process • Lodging & Accommodations • Resources • General Information for Transplant Patients

The liver is one of the largest organs in the body and is located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity immediately below the diaphragm and behind the lower right part of the ribs. It is divided into five sections or "lobes" and has many important, complex functions.

Among them are:

• Removing or neutralizing toxins (poisons), germs, and bacteria from the blood
• Making immune agents to control infection
• Making proteins that regulate blood clotting
• Making bile, a fluid that aids digestion by helping to absorb fats and fat-soluble vitamins (bile ducts carry bile from the liver to the intestine)
• Storing vitamins and other nutrients the body needs, including sugars to produce energy

You can't live without a functioning liver.