Liver Transplantation Program
The Liver Transplantation Program of the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute is one of the oldest and largest transplantation programs in the United States and has the greatest worldwide experience in liver transplantation. Approximately 300 liver transplants are performed at the Institute each year.
UPMC's liver transplant recipients include larger-than-usual numbers of:
- older people
- people with certain cancers
- people who have received previous transplants
Many of these "high-risk" patients have been turned down for transplantation at other centers. Despite this very seriously ill population of patients, survival rates for both children and adults who receive livers at UPMC hospitals is consistently above national averages.
Services at the Starzl Institute include several treatment options for adults and children who have liver disease and/or malignancies. Surgical services include transplantation, liver resection for malignancies, and bile duct reconstruction. The Liver Transplantation Program also provides surgical and nonsurgical procedures to reduce portal hypertension and variceal bleeding. Nonsurgical services also include intrahepatic arterial chemotherapy for patients with liver cancer. The Liver Transplantation Program refers patients to the UPMC Liver
Cancer Center for treatment.
In accordance with the philosophy of the program, the Institute provides transplantation services to all who will benefit, including patients who are considered high-risk or unsuitable for transplant by others. For those who cannot afford to pay for transplantation services, we offer assistance in financial issues. Institute patients include larger than expected percentages of older people, people with certain malignancies, and people who have received previous liver transplants. Yet survival for patients in adult and pediatric programs are consistently above nationally expected outcomes.
The Institute’s liver services comprise two programs, and both provide the full spectrum of services:
Our Outcomes
| UPMC's Liver Transplant Volume |
| 2005 |
259 |
| 2004 |
288 |
| 2003 |
309 |
| 2002 |
205 |
| 2001 |
155 |
| Source: UNOS |
Survival After Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
A summary of combined results from:
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
- University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Cambridge, England
- University of Hanover, Germany
| Tumor Stage |
Three-Year Survival* |
| I |
75 percent of patients |
| II |
60 percent of patients |
| III |
40 percent of patients |
IV
|
15 percent of patients
Stage IV tumors have an associated one-year survival of 50 percent. However, in highly selected patients with extremely small tumors, a three-year survival rate of higher than 70 percent has been achieved -- notably, with the use of accompanying chemotherapy. |
*Survival calculations are based primarily on treatment results relating to adult patients.