Liver Transplant Program

Patients who have cirrhosis with complications of end-stage liver disease in which there is no reasonable medical alternative treatment are eligible for liver transplant evaluation and waiting list placement. Patients with other conditions may also meet the criteria for a liver transplant and be considered for the list. These conditions include:

• Hepatopulmonary syndrome—severe breathing problems caused by cirrhosis
• Hepatic pulmonary hypertension—high pressure in the lungs caused by cirrhosis
• Itching that cannot be treated
• Tumors that cannot be surgically removed
• Inborn errors of metabolism such as amyloidosis and oxalosis
• Primary liver cancer without evidence of spread outside the liver
• Recurrent episodes of bacterial cholangitis
• Recurrent infection of the liver bile ducts

The time you will wait for a transplant is highly variable. If you have a living donor liver transplant, your surgery will be scheduled. If you are waiting for a deceased donor, your wait may be difficult to predict and can range from days to years.

The best treatment option depends on your diagnosis because liver disease can develop and progress in different ways. Treatment of liver cirrhosis is the most common reason for a transplant, but you need a liver transplant if your liver is failing, is damaged to the point where it doesn't perform its normal functions and medical interventions are no longer effective.

We have financial coordinators who will help you and your family with financial related questions or concerns regarding your transplant coverage.