LIVER
ORGANS – LIVER
I was scared to death , but the transplant team was so comforting . And the floor nurses were so great ; I ’ ve never seen anything like them . They were so caring , loving , and they really listen to you .
William Bolling – Liver transplant , February 9 , 2014
OBSERVED AND EXPECTED , DECEASED DONOR TRANSPLANT RATE PER 100 PERSON YEARS , ADULT CANDIDATES
The UAB Liver Transplant Program is the only adult program in Alabama , and it has performed approximately 2,750 liver transplants since its launch in 1983 . This volume has helped our program distinguish itself as one of the nation ’ s most experienced , and our outcomes consistently rank among the best in the United States .
To better serve patients across our wide geographic territory , UAB streamlined our transplant evaluations and changed many burdensome aspects of the process . This care model continues throughout the transplant journey , from the advanced operating suites at UAB Hospital to comprehensive post-transplant care management in both inpatient and outpatient settings . We consider transfers of patients with acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure , regardless of their potential transplant candidacy , and this has made UAB a statewide resource for patients facing this challenging disease . Also , we recently began offering liver transplantation for eligible patients with unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma .
The UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute ( CTI ) has expanded organ access for patients suffering from acute alcoholic hepatitis through our Hepatitis C-positive > Hep C-negative program , which allows us to safely transplant organs from infected donors then cure the hepatitis C in the recipient with antiviral therapy . The CTI developed relevant protocols for all solid organs , applying them first with our kidney / pancreas and liver programs , and this led to more transplants and reduced wait times .
Further , the CTI instituted an acute alcoholic hepatitis transplant protocol that makes liver transplants available to patients who would
have been declined in the past , and already it has resulted in many lives saved . Rather than relying on a strict six-month sobriety requirement , as is
The liver transplant rate among adult candidates listed at UAB was significantly greater than similar candidates listed nationwide ( 62.8 per 100 PY ), resulting in a transplant rate that was 24 % greater than expected .
the policy at many transplant centers , the CTI takes an individualized approach to the assessment of each patient and offers transplants to those believed to be at low risk for sustained relapse after transplant .
The success of the acute alcoholic hepatitis protocol resulted in a paradigm shift in how all patients with alcohol-related liver disease are evaluated , leading to more personalized care . Close collaboration with the UAB Addiction Recovery Program has been a major factor in the success of the program . Every patient with alcohol-related liver disease is evaluated by an addiction specialist who also takes part in weekly patient selection meetings , resulting in individualized recommendations for the treatment of alcohol use disorder that are aimed at providing the best possible chance at successful , long-term recovery . To date , no patients in the program have lost their liver grafts due to recurrent alcohol use .
14 UAB CTI Report