Liver Transplant

In some cultures, the liver is associated with courage. In the Gulf South, many patients are finding both courage and leading-edge, life-saving care for liver transplants at the Ochsner Multi-Organ Transplant Institute.

Liver Transplant in New Orleans: Why Ochsner

In 1984, the first liver transplant in the state was performed at Ochsner and we’re currently home to Louisiana’s only pediatric liver transplant program. To date, our surgeons have performed more than 3,000 adult and pediatric liver transplants – 210 last year alone. This makes Ochsner the most experienced liver transplant center in the Gulf South.

Our Medicare-approved program is a Center of Excellence for many insurers. What’s more, our patients experience shorter wait times, reduced transplant surgery times and shorter hospital stays than the national average. In addition, our survival rate is better than the national average.

Lengthening Lives with Shorter Wait Times

The most recent median wait time for a liver transplant surgery at Ochsner is 1.9 months compared to 11.2 months nationwide. We work with organ procurement organizations all over the country to increase the number of liver allografts transplanted and to save the lives of patients waiting on our list.

Transplant Waiting List Outcomes Tool

This tool from SRTR (Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients) was created to help patients understand the experiences of patients on the program's waiting list.

View Calculator

With Experience Comes Confidence

Ochsner surgeons take on some of the most difficult cases, including retransplantation, transplant of obese recipients and transplantation of patients with portal vein thrombosis.

What’s more, our surgeons are experienced in split liver transplants, reduced-size liver transplants and living donor liver transplantation in both adults and children.

Meet the Team

At Ochsner, we truly function as a team made up of physicians, advance practice providers, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, financial coordinators and other healthcare providers. Your transplant coordinator will be there for you whenever you need her, walking you through the process every step of the way.

For the convenience of our patients, we schedule pre-transplant medical, psychosocial and financial consultations all on the same day. And after transplantation, Ochsner closely monitors all patients. We take pride in creating an environment that supports the needs of our patients and their families.

Surgeons

Ari J. Cohen, MD

Medical Director of Multi-Organ Transplant Institute, Section Head of Transplant Surgery

George E. Loss Jr, MD

Associate Medical Director and System Chairman, Department of Surgery Chief, Multi-Organ Transplant Institute

Humberto E. Bohorquez, MD

Transplant Surgeon, Section of Abdominal Organ Transplantation

David S. Bruce, MD

Emily Bugeaud, MD, PhD

Ian C. Carmody, MD

Dennis Sonnier, MD

Hepatologists

Nigel Girgraph, MD

Section Head, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology

Shobha Joshi, MD

Director, Hepatology Research, Transplant Hepatologist

Natalie H. Bzowej, MD

Director of Liver Transplant Hepatology Research, Transplant Hepatologist

George Therapondos, MD

Gia Tyson, MD

Steven Young MD

Hrishikesh V Samant MD

Research

Our hepatologists are leading the nation with cutting-edge clinical research on liver cancer and fatty liver disease NAFLD/NASH), autoimmune liver disease and viral hepatitis. Click here to learn more.

Who Needs a Liver Transplant?

When a liver function test verifies that the liver is not functioning properly as a result of liver damage, liver disease or liver failure, a transplant may be required. The following may lead to the need for a transplantation:

Liver cancer
Liver tumors
Liver sclerosis/Liver cirrhosis caused by chronic hepatitis C
Fatty liver disease (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis)
Alcoholic liver disease
Biliary atresia
Urea cycle disorders
Familial hypercholesterolemia
Autoimmune diseases
Bad reactions to over the counter or prescription medicines, illegal drugs, and herbal medicines
Blockage of the blood vessels to the liver
Genetic disorders
Toxins

Acute liver failure maybe caused by:

Autoimmune diseases
Bad reactions to over the counter or prescription medicines, illegal drugs, and herbal medicines
Blockage of the blood vessels to the liver
Genetic disorders
Toxins
Viral hepatitis

Liver Cancer Treatment

Liver cancer symptoms include:

Abdominal swelling
Fatigue
General weakness
Jaundice
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Unexplained weight loss
Upper abdominal pain
Vomiting.
White, chalky stools

If you have symptoms of liver cancer, schedule an appointment today.

What Referring Physicians Need to Know

The Ochsner Multi-Organ Transplant Institute provides consistent follow-up information to all referring physicians via written correspondence. You’ll be kept abreast of initial clinic visits, surgery, hospital discharge and routine follow-up visits to the clinic. After surgery, our team continues to monitor for transplant-related complications and regulates maintenance immunosuppression.

To refer a patient to one of the best liver transplant hospitals in the country, call our 24-hour Referral Hotline: 1-800-643-1635 or email referrals to: LiverTransplant@Ochsner.org.