Liver Transplantation Patient Guide

About Liver Transplantation

A donated liver that has been stored with advanced machine preservation methods

The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation may recommend a liver transplant for patients with severe liver disease and liver failure when all other treatment options are exhausted. This surgical procedure replaces your damaged liver with a healthy one. Ideally, after transplant, you are free from disease and able to lead a fairly normal life with your new liver. A liver can be transplanted from either a living or a deceased donor. The Center is one of only a few programs offering living donor liver transplantation.

If you are interested in being evaluated for liver donation and want additional information, please contact the Center by calling our toll-free number for referrals and consultations, 1.877.LIVER MD (1.877.548.3763).

Deceased-Donor Liver Transplantation

When an individual is declared brain dead and his or her family chooses to donate the organs for transplantation, the liver is made available for transplantation. Those who are to receive a deceased-donor organ are registered with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the agency that maintains the national database of all individuals waiting for a deceased-donor organ. Waiting times vary depending on the individual's severity of illness, blood type, and overall demand. Click here to read more about the waiting list.

Click here to review outcomes of liver transplantation at the Center.