When a loved one needs a liver transplant, the first question is often: Who gets the liver first? How do doctors decide? The answer lies in the MELD Score or Model for End-Stage Liver Disease.
This score is more than just a number; it is a lifeline that tells doctors how severe liver disease is and how urgently a transplant is needed. MELD predicts the risk of death within three months if a patient does not receive a transplant, ensuring that those who need it most receive priority.
For families in India the MELD Score also helps in planning the liver transplant surgery cost in India, giving clarity on financial and medical preparation. Understanding this score empowers patients and families to make informed decisions while waiting for life-saving treatment.
Doctors calculate MELD using three key blood tests:
The updated MELD-Na score adds sodium levels to improve accuracy, especially in predicting survival risk. MELD is a reflection of how well your liver and kidneys are functioning together. Higher scores signal that your body is struggling and a transplant may be urgently needed.
When multiple patients need a liver transplant, doctors rely on the MELD Score an objective number that reflects urgency.
Doctors calculate MELD using lab tests; bilirubin, INR, creatinine and sometimes sodium. Higher scores indicate greater risk and priority. Scores are recalculated regularly as patient conditions change.
For example, if three patients are waiting:
Patient B would receive the liver first, as their condition is most critical.
Doctors also consider surgical readiness, ICU availability and pre-operative support like nutrition or dialysis to ensure safe outcomes. Understanding MELD helps families anticipate urgency, plan medical care and prepare financially including the cost of liver transplant in India. Choosing the best liver transplant surgeon in India such as Dr. Vivek Vij ensures timely and expert care for high-priority patients.
The MELD Score is the backbone of transplant priority decisions. Here’s why:
Moreover, knowledge of the MELD Score helps the relatives of a patient to foresee the expense of a liver transplant in India which is basically between ₹20-30 lakhs varying with the hospital, type of donor and post-transplant care.
It is known that each patient’s liver disease will progress differently, therefore a way of measuring the most urgent cases is necessary. This MELD Score is a very simple but also very strong number that indicates the level of a patient’s condition and thus helps the medical teams to effectively decide the transplant priority.
| MELD Score | Severity | Medical Action |
|---|---|---|
| Below 10 | Mild | Monitor and manage with medications |
| 10–19 | Moderate | Lifestyle adjustments, closer observation |
| 20–29 | Severe | Begin transplant evaluation |
| 30–39 | Very severe | High-priority transplant |
| 40+ | Critical | Immediate transplant needed |
The higher your score, the more urgent the need for a transplant.
MELD Score directly affects surgery timing, preparation and costs:
Selecting the best liver transplant surgeon in India like Dr. Vivek Vij ensures that high-MELD patients receive expert, timely care, maximizing survival chances.
Yes, MELD is dynamic which means it can change as a patient’s condition changes.
MELD is like a living scorecard that reflects your liver and kidney health in real time, guiding doctors to make the safest and most effective decisions.
The MELD Score doesn’t just determine transplant priority it also gives doctors a preview of how recovery might unfold:
Think of the MELD Score as a roadmap for recovery; it helps doctors anticipate challenges, address risks proactively and give each patient the best possible outcome.
Patients can actively support their health:
Even if these steps don’t drastically change MELD they stabilize liver function and improve recovery. Combining proactive care with MELD’s guidance ensures patients are better prepared for surgery and long-term outcomes.
The MELD Score isn’t just a figure, it is a vital instrument used to decide the priority of liver transplantation, thereby making sure that those patients who need it the most urgently are the ones to receive it in time. As it forecasts the danger of severe complications or death, it permits surgeons to operate with precision, along with being able to foresee difficulties in recovery and offer tailored treatment.
Moreover, to patients and families, knowing about MELD is also beneficial in financial and medical preparations. One such example is the cost of liver transplant surgery in India that can be better understood. Under the able and expert guidance of Dr. Vivek Vij at AILBS each stage, from MELD Score monitoring, surgical planning, to post-operative care is conducted in a way that is patient-centred, trustworthy, and scientifically sound.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. What is the MELD Score?
Ans. The MELD score is a number calculated from lab tests: bilirubin, INR, creatinine and sodium. It indicates the extent of liver disease and transmits the doctor a message about priority for transplant.
Q2. How do doctors decide who gets a liver first?
Ans. The first priority is given to those patients with a higher MELD Scores for Liver Transplant. The scores are recalculated regularly to reflect changes in the patients’ conditions.
Q3. Can MELD Score change over time?
Ans. Definitely. If a patient’s condition deteriorates his/her MELD score will go up and may slightly decrease if liver or kidney function gets better.
Q4. How does MELD affect transplant planning in India?
Ans. MELD is a major determining factor for the timing, the pre-op care as well as figuring out the money that will be needed. In India, the cost of liver transplant surgery is usually between ₹20–30 lakhs. By selecting the top liver transplant surgeon in India, you will be guaranteed expert care.
Q5. How can patients support their liver health?
Ans. Patients can keep their liver healthy by not drinking alcohol with following medication prescriptions and eating liver-friendly foods along with engaging in safe physical activities and going for regular check-ups and all of which will help them recover and be in a state of readiness for a transplant.
