When it comes to liver transplants, experience and expertise matter
Surgeons on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth have performed over 5000 liver transplants combined — a remarkable milestone attained by few transplant programs worldwide.
Our liver transplant program is internationally recognized as a pioneering program in liver transplants and anti-rejection treatment. Our adult living donor liver transplant program was the first in Texas and is the first in the state to offer robotic liver surgery, making recovery easier and hospital stays shorter for living donors.
Our dedicated team of medical professionals and transplant surgeons personalize your transplant journey from evaluation, to listing and recovery. Our goal is to provide the shortest possible time on the wait list and in the hospital with a rapid return to a healthy and productive lifestyle.
With outreach locations throughout Texas, we bring almost four decades of experience treating patients with advanced liver disease closer to you.
What to expect with a liver transplant
In these videos, you will learn about the liver transplant evaluation, preparation process and what to expect before and after liver transplant surgery.
In addition, you’ll learn about the transplant team and the important option of living donor liver transplant.
These videos provide an overview of the liver transplant process at Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health and Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth.
These videos are ideal for potential liver transplant patients, family and friends.
Lynette and Amy: A living donor success story
After Lynette was diagnosed with cirrhosis due to fatty liver disease, her journey to find an organ donor began. Little did she know, her very own daughter Amy would be the perfect match.
With Baylor Scott & White Health by their side, they had successful surgeries and are both better than ever today.
Frequently asked questions about liver transplant
A living donor liver transplant can be an alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation for some patients on the waiting list. The ideal candidates are patients who foresee a long wait on the deceased transplant list and experience complications of liver disease, such as ascites and encephalopathy and patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Who is considered a candidate for the liver transplant list?
Patients who have cirrhosis with complications of end-stage liver disease in which there is no reasonable medical alternative treatment are eligible for liver transplant evaluation and waiting list placement. Patients with other conditions may also meet the criteria for a liver transplant and be considered for the list. These conditions include:
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome—severe breathing problems caused by cirrhosis
- Hepatic pulmonary hypertension—high pressure in the lungs caused by cirrhosis
- Itching that cannot be treated
- Tumors that cannot be surgically removed
- Inborn errors of metabolism such as amyloidosis and oxalosis
- Primary liver cancer without evidence of spread outside the liver
- Recurrent episodes of bacterial cholangitis
- Recurrent infection of the liver bile ducts
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How long is the waiting list for a liver transplant?
The time you will wait for a transplant is highly variable. If you have a living donor liver transplant, your surgery will be scheduled. If you are waiting for a deceased donor, your wait may be difficult to predict and can range from days to years.
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Is a transplant the right treatment for chronic liver disease?
The best treatment option depends on your diagnosis because liver disease can develop and progress in different ways. Treatment of liver cirrhosis is the most common reason for a transplant, but you need a liver transplant if your liver is failing, is damaged to the point where it doesn't perform its normal functions and medical interventions are no longer effective.
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Will insurance cover the cost of a liver transplant?
We have financial coordinators who will help you and your family with financial related questions or concerns regarding your transplant coverage.
Our liver transplant specialists
The transplant surgeons and hepatologists on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White Health are internationally renowned experts in the field of liver transplant.
As one of the first liver transplant centers in the country, our high volume and vast experience allows us to manage a large population of liver disease patient at our two transplant locations in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Liver transplant leadership
Dr. Asrani is the Chief of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation for the Baylor Scott & White Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute in Dallas and Fort Worth. He served as the Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Liver Disease for seven years. He provides clinical care at Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Waxahachie. Recently, Dr. Asrani restructured the research enterprise of the Simmons Transplant Institute and has been instrumental in elevating the name of the Institute and Baylor Scott & White as a recognized presence in the national and international academic world.
James Trotter, MD - Medical Director of Hepatology Outreach Strategy & Planning
Saleh Elwir, MD - BUMC Medical Director of Liver Transplant
Stevan Gonzalez, MD - BAS Medical Director of Liver Transplant
Amar Gupta, MD - Surgical Director of Liver Transplantation, Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons - Transplant Institute
Resources
FitSTEPS for Life
FitSTEPS for Life is an exercise program developed to tailor exercise to patient’s specific diagnosis and physical capabilities. The program permits patients to benefit from a gym-like experience for free.
Twice Blessed House - Dallas
Twice Blessed House is dedicated to serving pre- and post-transplant patients and their caregivers by providing a warm family atmosphere and amenities needed for daily living.
Transplant programs and specialized centers
Dallas transplant program
In North Texas, Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, in Dallas has one of the busiest multi-specialty organ transplant systems in the world—the Baylor Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute.
Fort Worth transplant program
Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center – Fort Worth is an internationally renowned destination for transplant care and one of the largest in the nation.
Liver and Pancreas Disease Center (Temple)
Baylor Scott & White offers patients with liver or pancreas tumors or chronic pancreatitis access to a full spectrum of treatment options. The Liver and pancreas Disease Center opened in 1998 and is dedicated to treating patients with liver and pancreas cancer.
Alcoholic Liver Disease Clinic (Dallas)
Alcohol is the leading cause of liver disease in the US. The Alcoholic Liver Disease Clinic combines the expertise of hepatologists, surgeons, psychologists, social workers and nurses to offer management of alcohol-associated cirrhosis, treatment for alcohol use disorder and transplant consideration for highly selected patients.
Transplant outreach locations
Teams of physicians, nurses and assistants travel to outreach clinics throughout Texas to deliver world-renowned transplantation medicine to an expanding network of communities. Both initial organ transplant evaluation and post-transplant follow-up appointments are available.
Contact us at The Baylor Scott & White Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute
Dallas: 214.820.2050 | Fort Worth: 817.922.4650