Comments on: Should Alcoholics Get Liver Transplants?

By: Bob Aronson

Bob Aronson — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:20:07 +0000

Many people have a misunderstanding of the difference between heavy drinking and alcoholism. Many heavy drinkers use will power and quit. Alcoholics, however, have a genetic predisposition to addiction. They crave alcohol the way you crave air. I know, I’ve been in recovery for 28 years and every day is a struggle. If you think will power will help an alcoholic or other substance abuser quit using then you also believe that will power will stop diarrhea.

Your choice to not become an organ donor may have doomed many others to death. Did you know that one organ donor can affect or save the lives of up to 60 people? Had others made the same decision as you did then I would have died a little over two years ago. Please rethink your decision.

bob

By: jEnNa

jEnNa — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:59:30 +0000

Everybody deserves a second chance to live but I think that we have to prioritize people who has pathological diseases to get the transplant first than alcoholics. I think it is a choice to become alcoholic. I used to drink alcohol when I was younger (heavy consumption of alcohol) but I was able to stop. It was my choice to stop drinking and it’s been 5 years and I still don’t drink alcohol. It is not fair to give the organ to a person that never took care of him/herself because a lot of people out there that are more deserving.
For cancer patients, depending on how they got it. Again for liver cancer, if they are a chronic smoker then they should be the last one on the list and give it to person who took care of him/herself.
I was gonna donate my organs before but I changed my mind when I asked the Organ donation center if I have a choice to not to give it to alcoholics but she said “no and it is given to people who matched my organ wether they are alcoholic or not.”
sorry Bob but that’s just my opinion.

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:14:21 +0000

Hello Bob your article is amazing! My step father recently discovered that he has stage 4 Cirrhosis and he has 6 months to a year to live. I really just need your advice to be honest. He hasn’t had a drink in 8 months and I believe he will never touch one again. our next step is to see if we can get him on a transplant list. However, I am just terrified that he won’t be a candidate. What do you recommend? Do you know any good sites? Or do you know any good transplant places we could go to? I just really don’t know what to do? Do you think there is any way of saving him?

By: Bob Aronson

Bob Aronson — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:33:37 +0000

Unfortunately people who are chemically dependant are beyond your personal control. They must come to the realization that they are powerless over their drug of choice and it is killing them, Furthermore they must have a very strong desire to live. Usually this cannot be done alone, a treatment program or regular AA attendance are the only medically accxeptable methods for helping addicts whether the drug is alcohol or heroin. The best you can do is urge him to get help or arrange with a professional for an “intervention” which may be the difference between life or death.

bob

By: Carter

Carter — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:46:29 +0000

My brother has alcoholic cirrhosis. He is a hard-working father and husband who, by his daughters admission “has always been there”. He only recently understood/admitted his drinking problem, and only about a month ago learned he had end stage cirrhosis. Two and a half years ago he successfully completed a 30 treatment program. He was sober for about a year and a half. He then fell off of the wagon only about 3 months ago to go back into a treatment program. Unfortunately, he had to be rushed to emergency with pancreatitis. He recover pancreatitis, only to remain very sick until his diagnosis of cirrhosis. He has worked at sobriety. He will get the hang of it given the chance. The challenge is that he only has 3 months soriety, and no recent 30 treatment program. His MELD score is somewhere over 20 and he is decompensating rapidly. What I am hearing often is that he did this all to himself and is really not worthy of giving a chance. He certainly does not fit the typically perception of an alcoholic, but I have yet to uncover a transplant team who would even consider him without 6 months and a 30 day treament program. My brother wants a chance to continue his growth in mastering his sobriety. He wants to satify the requirements and in fact hit a homerun iwth sobriety, but he may not live long enough. How does he do a 30 day treament program when he has hardly been able to walk for the last month? I am a breast cancer researcher and I have yet to uncover any primary research indicating any disparity between survival rates of alcoholics to non-alcoholics post-transplantation. I have spoken to friends on other kind of transplant teams and they feel the strong sense of morality in allowing someone onto the waiting list. Minus the alcohol, I know few more moral people than my brother. I am clearly frustrated on how I may fascilitate a truely good person to have the chance they deserve.

By: PDoherty

PDoherty — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:38:52 +0000

My twin sister just received a portion of her daughters liver. Her transplant center was very clear-NO DRINKING. They have a one strike policy. She has been sober for 10 months. I may have agreed before watching my sister almost die from cirrhosis that alcoholics should not be given a liver. However, until you watch someone that you love suffer from this dreadful disease you can’t judge. My sister has shown incredible strength, humility and courage through this entire process. The one word that comes to my mind is gratitude. I’m so thankful to have my sister in my life.

By: s. chic

s. chic — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:28:39 +0000

I didn’t know drinkers had a choice in the matter, I thought they had to quit drinking even to be considered for the transplant. A friend of mine has Chronic Hep C, cirrhosis, primary liver cancer… and he still came over here with a beer in his hand. He’s only 50. What is that? Why is he drinking? Should he get a transplant? I don’t know. He said they are putting him at the top of the list, but I don’t know if that is true, they still have to check and see if the cancer has spread. I’m really upset. I read that people in this condition who do get a transplant don’t last very long anyway, and if he’s drinking…. ????

By: RN

RN — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:07:14 +0000

I also work at a transplant center and have seen many different people get transplants. Some were recovering alcoholics/drug abusers who truly changed their lives for the better and it showed. And then there are those who slip thru the cracks and continue drinking up until and after the transplant. I have seen patients who reported doing drugs 1-2 days prior to transplant, still receive a transplant. I have seen patients receive transplants after intentional overdoses. I have also gone into patient’s rooms and found empty vodka bottles. I feel that the six months of soberity should be longer, and that pre-transplant recipients should go thru rehab as part of the listing process. I also think they should been regularly seen by psych, as you said, alcohol is an illness, to help them change their behaviors and thinking related to alcohol as well as offer support.

I have seen patients with long histories of alcohol and drug abuse, most of which with hep b and c receive transplants, when patients with liver cancer or some strange disease die waiting, only to have the hep resurface and destroy the new liver. I try my best to objectively care for my patients, but sometimes it can be difficult and your mind starts wandering and thinking “is it fair?”

As far as not drinking for fear of being taken off the list. I have seen this as well. Patients have been hospitalized for non-liver related instances, and immediately upon admission, alcohol and tox screen. I have seen patients wait-listed from this. In fact, I have seen patients die as a result of not getting a new organ soon enough, because they did not adhere to the 6 month rule.

The point you made against diabetes and alcoholism, I do not feel is the same. How would you then explain type 1 diabetes? Many people with it are very young and it is not a result of eating behaviors/habits. If you are going to compare it to diabetetes, then is would be more along the line of a patient with diabetes and is NOT taking their insulin and as a result has damage to other parts of their body (usually amputations/altered healing).

But before we go down this very grey road, I think what is most important is.. has this person changed their ways, and are they capable of now taking care of their new organ?

By: Joanne T Palmer

Joanne T Palmer — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:27:54 +0000

I am still pondering over this…when Mickey Mantle got his liver I do remember being angry about it I feel the same about obese people that do not even try to change their life habits, I know women that have diabetes and are what is considered very over weight, but they don’t seem to change their eating habits, I think a recovering alcoholic should be given a new chance if they have changed their life style…I guess I feel there are so many that need transplants, just because you are a movie star, baseball hero etc. the mechanic or the factory worker should have the same opportunity, I think Kristin’s reply was very good, but I wonder sometimes how some people get there transplants and others don’t, I admit I am suspicious about it…..

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:32:47 +0000

Just passing by.Btw, you website have great content!

______________________________
Don’t pay for your electricity any longer…
Instead, the power company will pay YOU!