Liver Transplant Program

Experts at the Liver Transplant Program, a part of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, provide care for adults and children in need of a liver transplant. We also offer complete medical and surgical care for people who have a wide range of acute or chronic liver disease, including hepatitis B and C; cholestatic liver disease; sclerosing cholangitis; acute fulminant liver failure; hepatocellular carcinoma, meaning liver cancer; and biliary tract disorders.

According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), which tracks data related to solid-organ transplants in the United States, we are the top liver transplant program in New York and have a 100-percent one-year survival rate for people who receive a liver from a living donor. We are also one of the top centers in New York for getting a deceased donor liver faster and for our one-year survival rate for recipients.

Care for children with liver-related conditions is provided through our Pediatric Liver Transplant Program, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Through our Latino Liver Program, we provide the most medically advanced and culturally conscious care to Hispanic and Latino/a/x children and adults who need or may need a liver transplant or liver surgery.

Your Liver

The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, located under the rib cage on the upper right side of the abdomen. It has many life-sustaining functions, making it one of the most important organs in the body. It aids digestion by breaking down and storing nutrients, including fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. It aids circulation by filtering and processing blood to remove harmful substances. The liver is also responsible for manufacturing proteins that enable blood to clot.

Injury to the liver from conditions such as hepatitis, liver cancer, metabolic dysfunction liver disease, or drug toxicity, excessive alcohol consumption, or nutritional deficiencies can lead to acute liver failure or chronic scarring, known as cirrhosis. The damaged liver is unable to carry out its many functions. People with these conditions may experience progressively worsening symptoms.

Our hepatology, transplant hepatology, and surgery teams provide diagnosis and treatment for all liver conditions. For some people with severe or advanced liver disease, a liver transplant may be their best treatment option.

When a Liver Transplant Is Needed

If you have been referred for a liver transplant evaluation, your physician has recognized these signs of liver failure, and a transplant may be your best option.

There are two sources of liver donation: from a living donor, which is someone willing to donate a piece of their liver, and from a deceased donor, whose family has consented to donate the entire liver. In the United States, deceased donors are the most common source of livers for transplant.

NYU Langone’s renowned liver and transplant specialists diagnose liver conditions and help you weigh your treatment options to determine whether a transplant is the best approach.

We conduct liver transplant evaluations and provide pre- and post-transplant outpatient care at our Manhattan location and on Long Island.

Other Types of Liver Surgery

Our surgeons also specialize in the following procedures.

Hepatobiliary Surgery

Our specialists perform nontransplant hepatobiliary surgery to manage a variety of diseases affecting the liver, bile duct, and gallbladder. Advanced techniques, including minimally invasive and conventional surgery, are used to treat people with these conditions.

Procedures include the following:

• surgical removal of benign and malignant diseases of the liver, including hepatocellular carcinoma
• surgical repair or removal of the gallbladder and bile duct to treat people with benign and malignant disease
• laparoscopic repair of bile duct injuries and bile duct stones
• laparoscopic gallbladder removal

Surgery for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma involves removing the diseased portion of the liver. This usually includes the tumor and surrounding tissue. The patient’s liver is able to regenerate within a few weeks, depending on the size of the portion removed.

For more information, call 212-263-8133 or email NYUTxpLiverProgram@NYULangone.org.