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What Patients Should Expect

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT CONTACT THE LIVER TRANSPLANT OFFICE - 314-362-5376 OR 1-800-295-4734.


Liver transplantation is performed at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO.  A transplant coordinator will help coordinate your visits, and if you are from out of the area, they will assist you finding accommodations.

Phase One: Referral & Evaluation

A transplant nurse coordinator will collect the appropriate medical records and schedule a transplant evaluation. Each patient is assigned a transplant nurse coordinator to facilitate communication through the entire transplant process.

The patient will have a comprehensive evaluation by all members of our transplant team, including the transplant physicians, transplant surgeons, transplant nurse coordinators, and may include dietitians, anesthesiologists, psychologists, social workers and financial coordinators. Appropriate testing also will be performed. Based on a thorough evaluation, the team will determine if the patient is a candidate for transplant.

Phase Two: Patient Listed & Awaiting Transplant

Transplant candidates are placed on a transplant waiting list through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

UNOS assists with the matching and sharing of organs throughout the U.S. This national list prioritizes organ allocation on the basis of the severity of illness, length of stay, blood type and geographic location. A patient on a transplant waiting list may be called at any time when a donor organ becomes available.

Phase Three: Transplantation

Once an organ is available for transplantation, the patient is notified by one of the transplant coordinators. The patient goes to Barnes-Jewish Hospital and is admitted to the transplant floor. After the transplant, the transplant team will follow the patient closely during recovery. In the first few weeks after being discharged from the hospital, the patient will be seen frequently in our outpatient clinic. The patient will need to stay near the hospital for the first few weeks of observation.

Phase Four: Follow-up after Transplantation

Once the patient is home, there will be regular contact with the nurse coordinator and will return periodically to Barnes-Jewish Hospital for follow-up exams. Over time, more routine care will be transitioned to the primary care physician. For continuity of care and to ensure the best outcomes, we follow our patients for the life of their transplant.

For more detail on this process, please visit Barnes-Jewish Liver Transplant

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Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine
Copyright 2013 Washington University School of Medicine