Survival rate of liver transplant recipients rises in China

HANGZHOU - The five-year survival rate of liver transplant recipients in China rose from around 59 percent in 2014 to 71 percent in 2017, according to a press conference by the National Health Commission on June 22.

The one-year survival rate and three-year survival rate of liver transplant recipients in China reached 84 percent and 75 percent respectively, on a par with the international standard, said Guo Yanhong, an official with the commission.

Guo said China conducted 4,732 liver transplant operations in 2017, up over 26-percent year on year. Among them, 4,138 came from donations after cardiac deaths.

The current average waiting time for a liver transplant in China is 27.5 days, compared with 120 days needed in the United States, according to Guo.