Liver support system

Liver Support System

The Liver Support System (pronunciation: /ˈlɪvər səˈpɔːrt ˈsɪstəm/) is a medical treatment method designed to assist or replace the functions of the liver in patients with acute or chronic liver failure.

Etymology

The term "Liver Support System" is derived from the English words "liver", referring to the large organ in the body that processes nutrients and removes toxins, and "support system", indicating a method or device that aids or sustains the function of another system or organ.

Function

The Liver Support System is used to perform the detoxification, protein synthesis, and biochemical production functions of the liver. This is achieved through a combination of dialysis and bioreactor technologies, which remove toxins from the blood and provide a suitable environment for liver cells to function.

Types

There are two main types of Liver Support Systems: artificial and bioartificial.

Artificial Liver Support Systems use a machine to filter toxins from the blood, similar to a kidney dialysis machine.
Bioartificial Liver Support Systems combine dialysis technology with a bioreactor containing living liver cells, which can perform the metabolic functions of a healthy liver.

Related Terms

Liver Transplant: A surgical procedure to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver from a donor.
Hepatic Encephalopathy: A decline in brain function that occurs as a result of severe liver disease.
Cirrhosis: A late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions.