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Nationwide, healthcare professionals are more involved with liver transplantation. Although providing a new lease on life is very rewarding within itself, it can also be stressful for all involved. Through a better understanding of the actual procedure, healthcare professionals can alleviate some of their own stress as well as understand the anxiety of the recipient.

1. Only 15% of brain dead patients become organ donors. This is due to a lack of public education regarding the benefits of organ donation, lack of recognition of potential donors, poor donor management, and unfortunately, even the reluctance of health-care workers to approach families with the choice to donate. 2. Once the patient has been officially accepted as an organ donor and the consents have been signed, the donor goes through a thorough evaluation involving physician consultations and lab work, and the medical history is reviewed for possible complications. 3. As many as four surgical teams may be involved in organ procurement, and good communication between nurses, physicians, and coordinators is vital to promote successful recovery of donor organs.

1. To ensure that the energy of the shock wave is not dissipated before it reaches the stone, an airtight seal must be established between the patient and the acoustic lens that separates the water in the spark gap chamber from the patient. 2. Laboratory tests and ultrasound exams must be done at 24 hours and 1 month intervals for 6 months after treatment to determine if the patient is stone-free. 3. Patients treated with biliary lithotripsy have less pain, a shorter recovery period, and less chance of infection than those who have cholecystectomies.