If a suitable donor liver has been found, surgeons then work to transplant the donor liver into the patient. The patient will then be placed on medication for pain management, anti-infection and immune suppression. The immunosuppressants are given to ensure that the body does not begin to recognize and attack the new donated liver as an intruder. In some cases, the immunosuppressants are a life-long prescription.

The recovery time for someone who has had a liver transplant is expected to be 6 months or longer, depending on the illness or condition that led to liver failure and the damage to the rest of the body as a result.