Liver Transplant

A National Leader in Liver Transplantation 

When you turn to Lahey Clinic for a liver transplant, you can expect to receive exceptional care. We are one of the nation’s leading, most experienced, medical center liver transplant programs. 

Lahey performed New England’s first successful liver transplant in 1983. We were also the first facility in this region — and just the tenth in the U.S. — to perform a live donor liver transplant in an adult. Today, our live donor adult liver transplant program is one of the largest in the country. 

In addition: 

• Our live donor adult liver transplant program was one of the first in the country to receive accreditation from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). 
• Our combined team of liver and kidney transplant surgeons performed the nation’s first combined live donor liver and kidney transplant in 1999. 
• Our team performed the first successful, totally robotic procedure to remove a portion of a liver (hepatectomy) from a living donor in 2018.
• We performed the first domino transplant in the U.S. for familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy in 1992. Since then, we’ve maintained one of the highest volumes of these surgeries nationally. 

At Lahey, we’re committed to patient-centered care and innovation. We offer you options when you face sudden liver failure or end-stage disease related to a chronic liver condition. In certain cases, we can even offer a transplant when you have liver cancer.

Individualized Care That Puts You First 

Here, you’re more than a patient or case number. We recognize your specific needs and provide personalized attention. We try to make what can be a difficult process as easy as possible.

Part of this includes coordinating your care and grouping your appointments. We help you see all your specialists in one day to  save you time. 

We talk with you about your transplant options. Then, together, we determine what’s best for you. 

What’s the Process for Getting a New Liver?

Determining whether you’re a candidate for a liver transplant begins with an evaluation. Learn more about it and what to expect before and after your transplant.

Your Options for Liver Transplantation 

Your new liver may come from one of several sources: 

Living Donor Transplantation

The liver is the only internal organ that regenerates. Just 30% of a healthy liver can regrow into a full-size liver. This makes living liver donation possible. In a live donor transplant, you receive a portion of a donor’s liver. Both livers grow in size and return to normal function in a matter of weeks. 

Become a Living Donor

Deceased Donor Transplantation

Some people agree to donate their organs upon their death. These transplants may include: 

• A liver from a brain-dead deceased donor: These donors have no brain activity and doctors determine it will not return. Loss of brain function may be due to conditions like stroke or traumatic brain injury. 
• A liver from a donor who has experienced circulatory death: Doctors declare these donors dead based on heart function and breathing criteria. The donor might have experienced cardiac arrest but could not be resuscitated, for example. Another example would be a critically ill donor who is removed from life-sustaining treatment when doctors determine it is no longer beneficial overall.

If you don’t intend to receive a live donor liver transplant, we place you on the transplant waiting list. You get your new liver when a suitable one becomes available, and you meet the transplant criteria.