Who is a Liver Transplant Candidate?

Liver Transplant Eligibility

When you have end stage liver disease, and no longer see results with medical therapy, you may be eligible for a liver transplant at UPMC.

At the UPMC Liver Transplant Program, we consider each person referred to our program – even if other centers have said that you are not a candidate.

We're committed to providing liver transplant services to anyone who will benefit, including those who are high-risk.

Liver Transplant Referral Criteria

At UPMC, our liver transplant program will accept either a self-referral or a referral from your doctor.

For more information on what is needed to be referred, please visit the liver transplant referral checklist. Patient information can be faxed to 412-647-5070.

We will also need to collect your health insurance information. This allows us to check your benefits and discuss the costs of transplantation.

Causes of liver failure

A candidate for liver transplant may suffer from any of these liver conditions:

• Hepatitis C
• Hepatitis B
• Alcohol-associated liver disease
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
• Primary liver cancers
• Primary biliary cirrhosis
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis
• Acute liver disease from toxins including Acetaminophen/Tylenol
• Alpha 1 Antityrpsin deficiency
• A failed prior liver transplant
• Polycystic disease
• Hemochromatosis
• Veno-occlusive disease
• Wilson’s disease

Excluding Criteria for Liver Transplant

The UPMC Liver Transplant team makes every attempt to ensure that people chosen for transplant evaluation are the most suitable for the surgery.

There are many requirements for liver transplant surgery. Before you can begin the liver transplant evaluation process, you must be free of:

• Cancer outside the liver
• Alcohol for at least 6 months
• Substance abuse
• Active infections
• Disabling psychiatric conditions
• Documented medical non-compliance
• Lack of adequate social support
• Lack of adequate insurance
• Other diseases or conditions

You must also be willing and able to make lifestyle changes to support the gift of life that a liver transplant provides.

Living-Donor Liver Transplant Criteria

If you're at an earlier stage of liver failure, you may want to look into living-donor liver transplant. This surgery is a partial liver transplant, so you must have it before your liver disease is severe enough to require a full organ transplant.

Once your liver functions are damaged beyond the body's capacity to regenerate (stage 4), you will need a full liver transplant.

The UPMC liver transplant team will work with you to help find a suitable living donor and help you both through the process.