Bernie Kosar Gets Liver Transplant After Extended Wait: What the Procedure Involves

Former Browns QB Bernie Kosar has received a liver transplant, more than a year after being placed on the waiting list. “Hey, I’m out and I’m feeling good. Just ready to enjoy the rest of the week and the rest of our

lives,” the former Cleveland Browns and University of Miami quarterback said in a video after the surgery. The 61-year-old was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s disease. According to news reports, Kosar had suffered issues related to his liver for years but did not take them seriously since he was not sure of the source. However, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2023, which confirmed the severity of his condition. Kosar went on the transplant waiting list last summer, and his transplant got a little delayed since the donor’s organ was infected. During the past week, he has undergone five procedures to stop internal bleeding.

What is liver cirrhosis?

Liver cirrhosis is the late stage of scarring or fibrosis of the liver, which occurs after repeated or chronic injury from conditions like hepatitis or chronic alcoholism. This scarring replaces healthy liver tissue, preventing the organ from functioning properly and eventually leading to liver failure. While early stages may have no symptoms, as it progresses, signs like fatigue, jaundice, and fluid buildup can appear. According to doctors, cirrhosis worsens as scar tissue builds up in your liver. In the beginning, your body compensates for the damage, and you might not notice any symptoms.

What is a liver transplant?

A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that replaces an unhealthy liver with a healthy one. You may need a liver transplant if you suffer from liver failure or cancer. According to experts, liver transplants are the third most common type of organ donation. Across the United States, there have been more than 10,000 liver transplants in 2023. Each week, between 200 and more than 300 people join the liver transplant waitlist. Almost all the transplants involve whole livers from deceased donors, and around 5 per cent of people receive partial liver transplants from living donors.

What happens during a transplant surgery?

Doctors say liver transplant surgery is a major operation for which the patient receives general anaesthesia so that they are asleep during the surgery. The surgeons place a variety of tubes in your body to carry out certain functions during and right after your surgery, which include:

• An IV in a vein of your arm or hand to deliver fluids and medicine.
• An IV in a vein of your neck or thigh, so providers can take blood samples and continuously check your blood pressure
• A tube through your mouth and into your windpipe that connects to a ventilator.
• Tubes in your abdomen to drain blood and fluid from around your liver.
• A catheter in your bladder to drain urine.
• For the surgery to begin, the doctor:
• Would make an incision across your abdomen to reach your liver.
• Make sure the liver is separated from the ligament that connects to your abdominal wall.
• Place a clamp on your bile ducts and blood vessels that are connected to your liver.
• Remove your liver and gallbladder.
• Put the donor liver in place.
• Attach it to your blood vessels and bile ducts.
• Close your incision.

A liver transplant surgery may take up to 12 hours.