Adult Liver Transplantation

Description of Clinical Program

The UCLA Adult Liver Transplant Program was one of the pioneering programs in liver transplantation. When the first liver transplant was performed at UCLA in February 1984, only three other liver transplant programs were in operation in the U.S. Since the early 1990’s, the UCLA program has been the most active liver transplant program in the nation, having now performed over 3000 liver transplants.

Transplantation at UCLA is a multi-disciplinary effort supported by a team of over 50 clinical specialists including physicians in surgery, hepatology and numerous medical sub-specialties, transplant nurse coordinators and case managers, dedicated transplant social workers and nutritionists, and financial counselors. The team is the most experienced transplant team in the western U.S., and one of the most experienced in the world. This expertise contributes to excellent clinical outcomes for our patients.

UCLA has been a leader in developing new surgical techniques that utilize the limited resource of donor organs more effectively. UCLA offers active living-donor liver transplantation programs for both pediatric and adult patients. UCLA is also a national leader in the utilization of in situ split liver transplantation, in which a single donor organ can be divided and transplanted into two patients, thus expanding the available organs for transplant.

The UCLA program is at the forefront of clinical research, offering patients access to the latest innovations in immunosuppressive therapy and treatment for complications of transplantation such as rejection and infection. Because of our excellent reputation, experience, and activity, UCLA is sought after to join every major national and international trial of new immunosuppressive agents, and our patients are able to benefit from the latest in scientific knowledge.