Patient Journey Guide

Patient presents with symptoms of disease to a healthcare practitioner
Physician or pediatrician prescribes diagnostic tests to confirm liver disease. There are no confirmatory tests for the need of a transplant and several tests have to be done to confirm and conclude this.
Patient is referred to a hepatologist or liver transplant surgeon
Once the need for transplant is confirmed and if the patient’s family is not able to afford the transplant, they seek financial support
They learn about available sources of finance for transplants from other family or community members, or hospital transplant coordinator or the doctors.

Patient / transplant coordinator at a partner hospital reaches out to TPAF for funding
If the patient requires a recommendation on the hospital, TPAF counsellor guides the patient to nearest partner hospital*.
Patient’s family / transplant coordinators at the chosen Liver Transplant Hospital share the Patient Application Form along with documentation for financial scrutiny and the medical history with TPAF
Application sent to TPAF Medical Panel

Medical Panel shares medical opinion on line of treatment suggested by patient’s transplant surgeon in special cases

Patient’s family applies for applicable Government schemes.
Financial aid procurement by TPAF follows this route;
TPAF collaborates with its institutional partners to run a crowdfunding campaign
TPAF assures the hospital of up to INR 11.5 lakhs in case the crowdfunding campaign does not meet the target.

Patient admitted to Liver Transplant Hospital
Blood type matching tests to identify live-liver donor (usually a close relative)
Pre-operative workup for the liver donor and patient
Liver surgeons from perform the liver transplant surgery
Patient and liver donor kept under observation after liver transplant
Patient and donor discharged from hospital after being declared fit for release

Patient is advised post operative medication and blood tests as applicable
Liver donor is discharged and can resume work after three to six weeks
TPAF connects patients to institutional partner National Liver Foundation to avail support in procuring immuno-suppresive medication post-operatively
Regular visits for assessment by surgeon and / or hepatologists at the hospital
Life-long immuno-suppressive treatment continues; patient’s family makes lifestyle changes
If the patient recovers well, he or she is back to normal activities in four-eight months