Liver Transplant
A is essential to your overall health. You may need a transplant if your liver is damaged from cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, or liver cancer. A liver transplant replaces a damaged liver with a healthy one.
University Health Transplant Institute is the best liver transplant hospital in the nation, according to Interlink. Our patient outcomes are also the best in Texas and exceed national expectations, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.
Benefits of Liver Transplant
For many people with liver disease, a new liver is their best chance at living. A new liver will replace the damaged one and begin performing vital functions needed to live, like filtering blood and producing bile for healthy digestion.
While medications can treat the symptoms of the disease and slow it down, a liver transplant is the only way to cure advanced liver disease or cancer.
Type of Liver Transplants
Your liver is the only organ in the body that can regenerate (grow back). That means you may opt to receive a liver from a living person who wants to donate a small part of their liver. Transplant surgeons at University Health offer two types of liver transplants: deceased and living donor.
Deceased Donor Liver Transplant
Your new liver comes from a deceased donor as it becomes available through the national waiting list known as United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The average wait time for a deceased liver transplant varies, but it could be months or years.
Living Donor Liver Transplant
Your new liver comes from a living donor, such as a family member, close friend or someone you do not know.
We are the only program in South and Central Texas to offer living donor liver transplants. This streamlined approach to living liver donation helps you get a liver transplant faster.
Paired Living Liver Donation
If you and your potential donor’s blood types aren’t compatible, your donor is matched with another recipient and you’ll be matched with another living donor.
The Transplant Process
Your transplant patient journey at University Health will be similar to the following:
Your First Visit
Meet your entire transplant care team, including a hepatologist (liver specialist), surgeon, dietitian, social worker and financial counselor, if needed. Come prepared with a list of questions and a support person to help you remember everything you and your team discuss. We’ll also take some blood to determine your blood type and test for exposure to certain diseases.
Evaluation Testing
You’ll undergo thorough testing to determine if you are a candidate for liver transplant. This may take a few days. In addition to a physical exam and review of your entire health history, your doctors may also order:
- Blood tests
- Alcohol and drug screening
- Liver biopsy
- Chest X-ray
- CT scan
Becoming a Candidate for Transplantation
The University Health Transplant Patient Selection Committee will review your health history and test results to determine if you are a candidate for transplant. Your transplant coordinator will notify you of the committee’s decision. You may be placed on the national transplant waitlist or will discuss alternative treatment options with your care team.
Living Liver Donation
Because the liver can grow back, you may receive part of a liver from a living donor. It may be someone you know or don't know. Living liver donations often result in better outcomes in the short and long term. Plus, there is no need to be on the waitlist for a deceased donor, so you will get a transplant sooner. Our surgeons performed the second-highest number of living-donor liver transplants in the country in 2019.
Liver Transplant Waiting List
When you are approved for transplant, you will be placed on the national liver transplant waiting list through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). Your place on the waiting list is determined by your Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. While you are waiting, you can continue your regular health care with your provider and may want to look for a living donor.
Liver Transplant Surgery
When a liver becomes available, you’ll head to University Hospital for final evaluation and surgery. The surgery will take between three and five hours, and you’ll be under general anesthesia.
After Liver Transplant Surgery
After liver transplant surgery, you will recover in the intensive care unit, where your family can visit you. Most people stay in the hospital for seven to 10 days while our team monitors your new liver’s function and watches for signs of rejection.
Before you go home, we’ll review transplant care education materials and medications with you and your family so you can feel confident about staying healthy and monitoring for post-transplant complications. We’ll also schedule you for your first post-transplant follow-up visit.
Why University Health for Liver Transplant
University Health Transplant Institute is the No. 1 liver transplant program in the nation. It is recognized as a Center of Excellence by the following health plans and organizations:
- Aetna
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (cadaveric liver donation)
- LifeTrac
- Optum Health
Top Patient Survival Rate in South Texas
Our patient outcomes routinely exceed national averages, meaning our patients stay healthier longer.
Our liver transplant program consistently achieves outstanding patient survival rates according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). Our outcomes are regularly reported by the SRTR and you can view our data on the organization's website.
