Defining the Field
UPMC's transplant programs are internationally renowned for their far-reaching influence on the entire field of transplantation. Since 1981, the year transplant pioneer Thomas Starzl, MD, PhD, performed the first liver transplant in Pittsburgh, more than 12,000 transplants have been performed at UPMC Presbyterian and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, distinguishing UPMC as the largest transplant center in the world.
A large percentage of the world's transplantation surgeons and physicians have been trained at the University of Pittsburgh. In many ways, UPMC has defined the field, from surgical technique, to nursing care, to the life-long management of patients. Just as significant have been parallel advances with respect to organ procurement, organ donation practices, and advances that may allow some patients to avoid transplantation altogether.