Liver Transplant Information and Process

At the Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, your transplant team will guide you through every step of the treatment and liver transplant process.

Patient Information Review

After the UPMC liver transplant team receives your medical records and information:

• A pretransplant nurse coordinator will collect and coordinate your outside medical, demographic, and financial information.
• The liver transplant team will review the information to determine if a transplant evaluation is appropriate.
• If a transplant evaluation is appropriate, we will obtain insurance authorization and contact you to schedule the evaluation.

Liver Transplant Evaluation

Evaluations for liver transplant are based on your medical condition. Evaluations may include some/all of the following diagnostic tests and transplant surgery consultations:

• Transplant surgeons
• Transplant hepatologists
• Transplant nurse coordinators
• Psychologists
• Social workers
• Financial coordinators
• Nutritionists
• Radiology testing
• Cardiac testing
• Comprehensive blood work
• Other tests and specialists as needed

Learn more about liver transplant evaluation and testing.

» How To Talk To Your Doctor About Living Donation (PDF).

After the Evaluation: Selecting Liver Transplant Candidates

A multidisciplinary team reviews each patient’s case at a selection meeting and makes decisions regarding approval of liver transplant candidates. We will notify you of our decision within one week of the committee’s decision.

For those patients not approved for liver transplantation, our transplant team can refer them to the UPMC Center for Liver Diseases where our expert liver specialists can provide medical therapy and additional treatment options.