Michelle Trachtenberg, best known for her roles in Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was found dead in her Upper West Side home on Wednesday. She was 39. The cause of her death has not yet been determined.
A source revealed that Trachtenberg had recently received a liver transplant, though it remains unclear whether complications from the surgery played a role in her passing.
While issues like blood clots and infections can arise after a liver transplant, the overall outlook is generally positive, with a five-year survival rate exceeding 75 percent.
Dr. Danielle Brandman, a medical director specializing in liver transplantation and disease, explained that by the time a patient is discharged from the hospital after surgery, it typically indicates that “the liver is working.”
However, serious complications can still occur, including heart attacks, blood clots, or damage to the veins and arteries where the new organ was attached, which can lead to liver failure.
Some post-transplant medications may also cause elevated potassium levels in the blood, which may affect heart function, said Dr. Elliot Tapper, an associate professor of hepatology.
Dr. Brandman explained that liver transplants are “one of the most involved surgeries that can be performed” and that patients often feel sick afterwards, requiring assistance with daily activities.
Liver transplants are typically a last resort for individuals with irreversible organ damage. In the United States, around 10,000 people undergo the procedure each year, while approximately 24,000 remain on the waiting list at any given time.
The specific reason for Trachtenberg’s liver transplant has not been disclosed. However, in the U.S., alcohol-related liver disease is the leading cause of liver transplants.
In 2023, more than 41 percent of transplant recipients had alcohol-related liver disease, while fatty liver disease—often linked to diabetes and obesity—was the second most common reason, accounting for 20 percent of cases.
Other common causes for liver transplants include viral hepatitis, liver cancer, and autoimmune conditions such as primary schlerosing cholangitis, and primiary biliary cirrhosis.
In recent years, fans had noticed that Trachtenberg appeared unwell in social media photos, with some commenting that she had lost weight. However, last year, the actress responded to those comments on Instagram, assuring followers that she was “happy and healthy.”
Doctors have observed a rise in alcohol-related liver disease among people in their 20s and 30s, with some cases becoming severe enough to require liver transplants. While genetics can play a role, lifestyle factors are often major contributors.
Most patients who need a liver transplant also have cirrhosis, a condition where healthy liver tissue is gradually replaced with scar tissue due to chronic inflammation and swelling. Over time, this scarring prevents the liver from properly digesting food and filtering toxins from the blood.
At this advanced stage, known as end-stage liver disease, patients may experience other symptoms such as weight loss, confusion, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
