UW Living Donor Liver Transplant Program
The University of Washington Living Donor Liver Transplant Program, in cooperation with the team at Seattle Children's Hospital, has the highest volume for adult to pediatric liver transplants in the U.S. this year.
Liver Transplant Medical Directors
Dr. Kiran Bambha is the medical director of the UW Living Donor Liver Transplant Program and director of the Liver Clinical Trials Unit. Dr. Pamela Valentino is the Medical Director of the SCH Liver Transplant Program and director of the Liver and Intestinal Failure Clinical Center.
Living Donor Liver Transplant Procedure
The transplant team at UW Medical Center is the only group in the Pacific Northwest performing liver transplants in an innovative manner, referred to as Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT). Our team performs this surgery in both adults and children who are in need of liver transplant.
The UW LDLT Program, in cooperation with the team at Seattle Children's Hospital, has the highest volume for adult to pediatric liver transplants in the United States this year.
Family members, friends, and even strangers frequently inquire about the option of doing a transplant with a living liver donor. In LDLT, a portion of liver is surgically removed from a healthy living donor and transplanted into the recipient once the diseased liver is removed. LDLT is possible due to the liver’s remarkable ability to regenerate (regrow) in both the liver donor and the recipient. This regeneration is nearly complete by the third month after surgery, with the majority of regeneration being completed within three weeks of surgery. About 50% of living liver donors report a return to their normal life at six weeks and almost all donors are fully recovered after three months from their surgery date.
Learn more about the UW Living Donor Liver Transplant Program and the Seattle Children's Liver Transplant Program.