Liver Transplant

Offering a full spectrum of liver disease management and transplant services for adults and children facing end-stage liver disease

If you have a medical condition that is causing your liver to no longer work properly, you may need a liver transplant. A liver transplant involves replacing your diseased liver with a healthy, donated liver from another person.

Our Expertise

IU Health Transplant is nationally recognized for excellent outcomes. Our surgeons are committed to personally reviewing each potential donor and frequently travel across the country to visually assess livers declined by other transplant centers. These organs are often determined to be suitable for transplant.

By increasing the number of organs transplanted and decreasing wait times, our patients often receive successful transplants before becoming extremely ill or debilitated.

In 2019, we performed 156 liver transplants—144 adults and 12 pediatric. The combined total is the seventh highest volume in the U.S.

The IU Health Living Liver Donation team offers information for individuals who are considering living donation to help them make an informed decision and feel supported throughout the donation process.

Services Offered

We provide a full spectrum of liver disease management and transplant services for adults and children with acute or chronic liver failure, primary liver malignancies, and metabolic or genetic disorders, including:

  • Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • Viral hepatitis, B and C
  • Liver cancer (selected cases)
  • Alcoholic liver disease
  • Autoimmune liver disease
  • Primary biliary cirrhosis and sclerosing cholangitis
  • Liver cirrhosis of other causes
  • Metabolic diseases

If you have liver cancer or neuroendocrine tumors, we offer individualized care plans to treat your primary or secondary liver cancer as well as assess your eligibility for transplant through our partnership with the IU Health Comprehensive Liver Oncology Program.

As one of the most active intestine/multivisceral transplant programs in the country since 2003, patients benefit from our multidisciplinary team’s experience with surgically and medically complex cases when a multi-organ transplant is needed.

Living Liver Donation

Living liver donors save lives and help improve another person’s quality of life for years to come. As the number of people needing a liver transplant has grown, living donation has become an alternative treatment option for patients, particularly those with lower MELD scores. Living donors reduce or eliminate the need for patients to spend years waiting for a deceased donor liver transplant. By donating a portion of their liver, living donors also help increase the number of livers available for those still on the waiting list. While a potential donor frequently has a connection to the recipient – such as family or friend – a donor may not know the recipient at all.

Learn more about living liver donation and the dedicated team that supports living donors throughout their journey. The process begins by submitting a confidential online donor evaluation form. All communication between the transplant center and a potential donor is confidential.

What to Expect with Liver Transplant

Our Expertise

IU Health Transplant is nationally recognized for excellent outcomes. Our surgeons are committed to personally reviewing each potential donor and frequently travel across the country to visually assess livers declined by other transplant centers. These organs are often determined to be suitable for transplant.

By increasing the number of organs transplanted and decreasing wait times, our patients often receive successful transplants before becoming extremely ill or debilitated.

In 2019, we performed 156 liver transplants—144 adults and 12 pediatric. The combined total is the seventh highest volume in the U.S.

The IU Health Living Liver Donation team offers information for individuals who are considering living donation to help them make an informed decision and feel supported throughout the donation process.

Services Offered

We provide a full spectrum of liver disease management and transplant services for adults and children with acute or chronic liver failure, primary liver malignancies, and metabolic or genetic disorders, including:

  • Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
  • Viral hepatitis, B and C
  • Liver cancer (selected cases)
  • Alcoholic liver disease
  • Autoimmune liver disease
  • Primary biliary cirrhosis and sclerosing cholangitis
  • Liver cirrhosis of other causes
  • Metabolic diseases

If you have liver cancer or neuroendocrine tumors, we offer individualized care plans to treat your primary or secondary liver cancer as well as assess your eligibility for transplant through our partnership with the IU Health Comprehensive Liver Oncology Program.

As one of the most active intestine/multivisceral transplant programs in the country since 2003, patients benefit from our multidisciplinary team’s experience with surgically and medically complex cases when a multi-organ transplant is needed.

Living Liver Donation

Living liver donors save lives and help improve another person’s quality of life for years to come. As the number of people needing a liver transplant has grown, living donation has become an alternative treatment option for patients, particularly those with lower MELD scores. Living donors reduce or eliminate the need for patients to spend years waiting for a deceased donor liver transplant. By donating a portion of their liver, living donors also help increase the number of livers available for those still on the waiting list. While a potential donor frequently has a connection to the recipient – such as family or friend – a donor may not know the recipient at all.

Learn more about living liver donation and the dedicated team that supports living donors throughout their journey. The process begins by submitting a confidential online donor evaluation form. All communication between the transplant center and a potential donor is confidential.

Waiting for a liver transplant can be difficult as you continue to manage your health. You will have a pre-transplant coordinator to help you navigate the steps leading up to your transplant.

Preparing for Your Transplant

Waiting for a liver transplant can be difficult as you continue to manage your health. You will have a pre-transplant coordinator to help you navigate the steps leading up to your transplant.

After your liver transplant, taking care of yourself and maintaining your health is very important. Your post-transplant coordinator will help you through recovery, rehabilitation and after care.

Your transplant team will remain a life-long partner in managing your healthcare.

After Your Transplant

After your liver transplant, taking care of yourself and maintaining your health is very important. Your post-transplant coordinator will help you through recovery, rehabilitation and after care.

Your transplant team will remain a life-long partner in managing your healthcare.

You will probably have a lot of questions about your liver transplant procedure. Some of the questions you might ask include:

  • Why do I need a transplant? Are there any other options?
  • How long will I have to wait for my transplant?
  • How is the procedure done?
  • Will I be in much pain afterward?
  • Will I need special medication afterward?
  • Will I need to modify my diet?
  • How long will my recovery take?
  • What will my life be like after the transplant? Are then any activities I can no longer do?

Be sure to write down these or other questions you may have. We strongly recommend that you bring along a partner or a good friend who can help you by listening and also taking notes.

Questions to Ask Your Provider About Liver Transplant

You will probably have a lot of questions about your liver transplant procedure. Some of the questions you might ask include:

  • Why do I need a transplant? Are there any other options?
  • How long will I have to wait for my transplant?
  • How is the procedure done?
  • Will I be in much pain afterward?
  • Will I need special medication afterward?
  • Will I need to modify my diet?
  • How long will my recovery take?
  • What will my life be like after the transplant? Are then any activities I can no longer do?

Be sure to write down these or other questions you may have. We strongly recommend that you bring along a partner or a good friend who can help you by listening and also taking notes.

For more information about the liver transplant program, call 800.382.4602 or email transplantinfo@iuhealth.org.

Contact Us

Feb 14

Daughter-mother live miles apart, connected by love and liver donation

This mother and daughter live more than 1,000 miles apart but share a special bond and celebrate February 14 as “National Donor Day.”

Daughter-mother live miles apart, connected by love and liver donation image.

Patient Stories for Liver Transplant

Feb 14

Daughter-mother live miles apart, connected by love and liver donation

This mother and daughter live more than 1,000 miles apart but share a special bond and celebrate February 14 as “National Donor Day.”

Daughter-mother live miles apart, connected by love and liver donation image.

Indiana Advance Directives for Healthcare

Advance care planning is a process to help any adult, at any stage of health, understand and share their goals and preferences regarding future medical care. A part of advance care planning may involve completing an advance directive.

Resources

Indiana Advance Directives for Healthcare

Advance care planning is a process to help any adult, at any stage of health, understand and share their goals and preferences regarding future medical care. A part of advance care planning may involve completing an advance directive.