Michelle Trachtenberg Dies at 39: Understanding Liver Disease and Liver Transplants

By: Krysten Brenlla

Michelle Trachtenberg, who starred in popular shows and movies like “Gossip Girl,” “Ice Princess,” and “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” recently passed away at 39. Following multiple media reports that Trachtenberg had a liver transplant months before her death, fans across the world are wondering what may have happened.

Although her official cause of death hasn’t been released, sources close to the actress say that she may have experienced complications, or a rejection, from her recent liver transplant.

Failing Livers: What Symptoms to Look Out For

The liver is the body’s built-in filter, helping clean out toxins, like alcohol and drugs, from the blood. It also plays a big role in food digestion by producing bile, which breaks down fats and turns food into energy, stores nutrients, regulates blood sugar levels, regulates blood clotting, and fights off infections.

Liver failure can cause a range of symptoms that can develop gradually or suddenly. Some common signs are:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes
• Unnatural swelling in the abdomen or legs from fluid buildup
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Dark urine or pale stool
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Confusion or memory problems from toxin build-up

When to Seek Medical Help

A liver transplant is necessary when the liver can no longer function properly due to severe disease, damage, or scarring.

Some of the most common conditions that can lead to complete liver failure include:

• Hepatitis C, B, or other viral infections
• Long-term alcohol abuse, or abuse of certain medications and/or drugs
• Primary biliary cirrhosis, a chronic liver disease where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the small bile ducts in the liver, leading to bile buildup that can eventually cause scarring and liver failure.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver disease that causes inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver, which can lead to bile buildup, liver damage, and liver failure.
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which causes fat to build up in the liver; not associated with alcohol use

Liver Transplants: What to Expect

Although medication and treatment can temporarily manage liver failure, a liver transplant is the only long-term solution for restoring liver health and improving quality of life.

A liver transplant typically takes about eight to 12 hours. The surgeon will remove the diseased liver, and replace it with a healthy donor liver.

After the transplant, the patient has to remain healthy through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and prescribed medicines. They also have to closely collaborate with their transplant team, which involves going to routine checkups to ensure their new liver is working properly.

If you or a loved one needs a liver transplant, the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), an affiliation between Jackson Health System and UHealth – University of Miami Health System, will provide the best possible care through a multidisciplinary team, cutting-edge technology, and quality expertise.

For more than 50 years, MTI has performed liver transplants, with more than 4,000 livers transplanted since 1988 and more than 150 livers transplanted every year.

For more information on MTI’s liver transplant program, or to request an appointment, visit https://transplant.jacksonhealth.org/programs/liver-transplant/.

Greg2600, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons