Treatments
Liver Transplant in India
Quick answer
Liver transplant replaces a failing liver with a healthy one, usually part of a liver from a living relative for international patients in India. It is for advanced cirrhosis, acute liver failure and some liver cancers. Recipients typically need around two to three months in India, covering assessment, surgery and early recovery.
Medically reviewed by The Curaventa Team · Last updated 2026-10-27
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At a glance
Cost of liver transplant in India
Hospital-listed package prices range from $16,618 to $36,000 across 4 sources (latest retrieved 2026-10-23). The final figure depends on the hospital, room category, implants and length of stay; every quote we send is in writing from the hospital.
| Hospital / source | City | Price | Includes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PACE Hospitals | Hyderabad | $16,618–$24,198 | Pre-transplant evaluation, surgery, post-op care, medications incl. immunosuppressants, hospital stay, surgeon/OT fees, blood products… | 2025-01 |
| Max Healthcare (Max Super Speciality Hospitals network) | Delhi NCR | $23,000 | retrieved 2026-10-23 | |
| Published estimate | India | $25,000–$32,000 | Pre-transplant check-ups for donor and recipient, surgery for both, hospital stays, medications and consumables, blood bank services.… | 2026 |
| Published estimate | India | $33,000–$36,000 | 2026 |
The liver can regrow, which makes living donor liver transplant possible. A healthy relative gives a portion of their liver, and both the donor's remaining part and the recipient's new part grow back towards normal size over the following months. India has some of the most active living donor liver programmes in the world.
The team includes hepatologists (liver physicians), transplant surgeons, anaesthetists and intensive care doctors. Recipients are scored for urgency and checked for heart, lung and kidney fitness. Donors undergo careful scans to measure liver volume and make sure enough liver remains for them to stay safe.
Who needs liver transplant
- Decompensated cirrhosis with fluid in the abdomen, jaundice, bleeding or confusion
- Acute liver failure from viral hepatitis, drugs or unknown causes
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) within accepted transplant criteria
- Cirrhosis from hepatitis B or C, alcohol or fatty liver disease
- Metabolic or cholestatic diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Repeated life-threatening complications despite best medical care
How it is done
- Recipient assessment checks liver disease severity, cancer spread if relevant, and heart and lung fitness.
- The donor has blood tests, CT volumetry and MRI of bile ducts to plan the liver split.
- Legal and committee approval is obtained for the related donation.
- Donor and recipient operations run in parallel; the donor's right or left lobe is removed.
- The recipient's diseased liver is taken out and the graft's vessels and bile duct are joined.
- The recipient recovers in the transplant intensive care unit before moving to a ward.
Before you travel to India
- Send recent liver function tests, INR, CT or MRI of the liver, endoscopy and MELD-related results.
- For liver cancer, share contrast scans of the chest and abdomen to confirm the tumour is limited to the liver.
- Identify one or two possible relative donors and send their blood group and basic health details.
- Confirm fitness to fly with your doctor, especially if there is confusion, bleeding or heavy fluid build-up.
- Plan for the donor plus a separate attendant to look after both during recovery.
Recovery and flying home
- Recipients usually spend some days in intensive care and a few weeks in hospital in total.
- Donors usually leave hospital within about a week.
- Recipients stay near the hospital for weekly tests for some weeks after discharge.
- Return to light work often takes a few months.
- Lifelong anti-rejection medicines and liver tests are required.
Risks
- Bleeding, bile leaks or narrowing of the bile duct
- Clots in the liver's blood vessels
- Rejection of the new liver
- Infections while the immune system is suppressed by medicines
- Return of the original disease, such as hepatitis or cancer
- Risks to the living donor, including bile leak and, rarely, liver failure
Alternatives
- Medical management of cirrhosis complications, for less advanced disease
- Liver resection, ablation or chemoembolisation for some liver cancers
- Deceased donor transplant in the home country, where available
- TIPS procedure, to control bleeding or fluid in selected patients
Conditions treated
Hospitals in India for liver transplant
- Medanta - The MedicityDelhi NCR
- AIG Hospitals, GachibowliHyderabad
- Aster MedcityKochi
- Artemis HospitalDelhi NCR
- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research InstituteMumbai
- Indraprastha Apollo HospitalsDelhi NCR
- BLK-Max Super Speciality HospitalDelhi NCR
- Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, KolkataKolkata
- Continental HospitalsHyderabad
Specialists
- Dr Arvinder Singh SoinMedanta - The Medicity
- Dr Prasun GhoshMedanta - The Medicity
Dr Prashant Vilas BhanguiMedanta - The Medicity- Dr Ashish ChaurasiaRuby Hall Clinic
Prof Mohamed RelaDr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre
Dr Gomathy NarasimhanDr. Rela Institute & Medical Centre
For patients from
Frequently asked questions
Who can donate part of their liver to me?
Usually a healthy adult close relative, often young or middle-aged, with a compatible blood group. The donor must have a healthy liver and the right size of graft. The team tests them carefully before agreeing.
Does the donor's liver grow back?
Yes, the remaining liver regrows over several weeks to months. The recipient's graft also grows. Liver function usually returns to normal in both.
Can liver cancer patients get a transplant?
Some can, if the tumours are limited in number and size and have not spread. Teams use set criteria to decide. Treatment to shrink the cancer may come first.
What is the MELD score?
MELD is a number based on blood tests that shows how severe liver disease is. Higher scores mean higher urgency. It helps the team time the transplant.
How long should an international liver transplant family plan to stay?
Recipients commonly stay around two to three months in total, and donors for a shorter period. Accommodation near the hospital is useful for follow-up visits. Visas should allow for possible extensions.
Sources
- Affordable Liver Transplant Cost in Hyderabad, India - PACE Hospitals
- Max Healthcare International - Assured Best Cost For All Treatments
Medically reviewed by The Curaventa Team. Last updated 2026-10-27. General information, not medical advice. Medical editorial board · Editorial policy · How we get prices
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