Liver Transplantation Team Performs 2,000th Transplant at CPMC

SAN FRANCISCO, April 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center's Liver Transplantation team performed the 2,000^th transplant since the program began in 1988. CPMC's liver transplant program was among the first such program established in the San Francisco Bay area, and it is a national quality leader in liver and liver transplantation care.

"Reaching this remarkable milestone is a tremendous achievement that would not have been possible without the continued expertise of the medical staff and the support of the non-medical staff, the hospital and Sutter Health leadership, the CPMC Research Institute and especially the altruism and generosity of the donor families over the past 30 years," said Raphael B. Merriman, M.D., FACP, FRCPI, medical director of Liver Transplantation at CPMC.

According to the American Liver Foundation, there are around 16,000 Americans on the liver transplant list at any time, including around 3,500 Californians.

"Transplants are a life-saving and life-changing procedure for patients and their families," related Robert Osorio, M.D., chairman of the Barry S. Levin Department of Transplantation at CPMC. "We are incredibly proud to have helped so many people and changed so many lives for the better over the years."

Statistics compiled independently by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR, publicly available at srtr.org) indicate that CPMC has the longest run of statistically better-than-expected patient survival rates at one and three years after adult liver transplantation of any program in the nation, now for over five years.

"We are especially proud of achieving these exceptional patient outcomes given the challenges in organ allocation in California, which results in patients needing to be sicker than in most other parts of the United States prior to receiving a suitable donor offer," stated Dr. Merriman. "For patients, it is really the best of both worlds. They get access to some of the best liver care in the country, with state-of-the-art technology and the latest research studies at CPMC. This is combined with much of the pre- and post-transplantation care being provided close to home within CPMCs nationally-recognized Regional Outreach Liver Clinic network. This network of clinics is among the largest in the nation with 18 locations in Northern California, the Central Valley and Nevada."  

The CPMC Liver Transplant Program will mark the 2,000^th transplant with a department celebration lunch in April to honor the medical and administrative staff that have now taken 2,000 patients and their families through the liver transplant process.

"When you've transplanted 2,000 patients, a program develops a profound understanding of what patients go through both before and after their transplants and a depth of expertise to deliver very complex liver care as successfully as possible," Dr. Merriman added. "With a highly skilled and focused team of professionals, we have a unique ability to support patients through each step in the process assisted in part because we deliver much of the care in patients' local communities."

Sadly, one of the limitations on life-saving organ transplant surgeries is the shortage in organ donations. CPMC supports organ donation and encourages those interested in becoming organ donors to discuss their wishes with their families and add their name to the California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry at donatelifecalifornia.org. Learn more about liver transplants at cpmc.org/advanced/liver.

SOURCE California Pacific Medical Center

Related Links

http://www.cpmc.org/advanced/liver