A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that removes a liver that no longer functions properly (liver failure) and replaces it with a healthy liver from a deceased donor or a portion of a healthy liver from a living donor. Your liver is your largest internal organ and performs several critical functions, including: Processing nutrients, medications and hormones, producing bile, which helps the body absorb fats, cholesterol and fat-soluble vitamins, making proteins that help the blood clot Removing bacteria and toxins from the blood, preventing infection and regulating immune responses. Liver transplant is usually reserved as a treatment option for people who have significant complications due to end-stage chronic liver disease. Liver transplant may also be a treatment option in rare cases of sudden failure of a previously healthy liver. The number of people waiting for a liver transplant greatly exceeds the number of available deceased-donor livers. Living-donor liver transplant is an alternative to waiting for a deceased-donor liver to become available. Living-donor liver transplant is possible because the human liver regenerates and returns to its normal size shortly after surgical removal of part of the organ.