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Liver Transplant

Vanderbilt Transplant Center’s liver transplant specialists offer complete care for liver and bile duct diseases. We have performed more than 2,200 liver transplants since 1990 – the largest number of liver transplants among any program in Tennessee. Our surgeons have the expertise for two-organ operations, including liver-heart and liver-kidney transplants, to treat people with even the most complicated medical challenges.

Conditions We Treat

Conditions we treat that can lead to end-stage liver failure or cirrhosis requiring a liver transplant include but are not limited to:

  • Acute liver failure
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Autoimmune hepatitis
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • Hereditary hemochromatosis
  • Primary biliary cirrhosis
  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis
  • Reformed alcohol abuse
  • Wilson’s disease

Tests, Treatments and Services

  • Liver transplant
  • Liver-heart transplant
  • Liver-kidney transplant

Liver Transplant: Why Choose Vanderbilt

  • Experienced doctors: We perform more than 130 liver transplants each year, making our program the largest in Tennessee. This experience translates into the best possible care and results for you.
  • Recognized care: Our exceptional liver transplant outcomes have earned us recognition by Blue Cross, OptumHealth, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Interlink and LifeTrac. View our liver transplant outcomes.
  • Living donor program: We offer a living donor liver transplant program to reduce wait times for a healthy liver. Part of a liver from a living donor also gives patients a better chance of a longer, healthier life.
  • A team approach:  Our liver surgeons and hepatologists combine their expertise to create a personalized care plan that is right for you. These specialists work closely with a team of psychiatrists, transplant pharmacists, nurses and social workers to provide you with quality care before, during and after your liver transplant.
  • Innovative research and treatment: As part of an academic medical center, we continually research new treatments. We are one of just 15 medical centers participating in a study to test a new transport system for donor livers that could expand the number of livers suitable for transplantation.
  • Clinical trials: As the only academic medical center in Middle Tennessee, we offer access to clinical trials investigating new, promising technologies and approaches to transplant care.
  • A dedicated inpatient unit: We have an entire hospital unit for people undergoing transplant surgery. You’ll receive around-the-clock care from our compassionate nursing staff, who have special training in caring for transplant patients.
  • Caring for veterans: We are one of only six transplant centers designated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide liver transplants to our nation’s veterans.
  • Pediatric liver transplants: Our smallest patients require a dedicated team of specialists who are as knowledgeable as they are comforting. We provide pediatric liver transplants through Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
  • Support services: Our transplant center offers a variety of support services, from social workers to transplant pharmacists, to help guide you through the transplant process. We also offer a unique Return-to-Work program to help you resume employment and restore your emotional and financial well-being. View our support services.

Locations

Nashville
Vanderbilt Liver, Hepatology, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplant
The Vanderbilt Clinic
1301 Medical Center Drive, Suite 2501A
Nashville, TN 37232
(615) 936-5321
Map and Directions

Clarksville
Vanderbilt Hepatology, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplant
800 Weatherly Drive, Suite 201
Clarksville, TN 37043
Map and Directions

Franklin
Vanderbilt Hepatology and Liver Transplant Franklin
2105 Edward Curd Lane, 3rd Floor
Franklin, TN 37067
(615) 936-5321
Map and Directions

Knoxville
Vanderbilt Hepatology, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplant Knoxville
11440 Parkside Drive, Suite 205
Knoxville, TN 37934
Maps and Directions

Madison, AL
Vanderbilt Hepatology, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplant Madison, AL
Madison Surgery Center
460 Lanier Road, Suite 202A
Madison, AL 35758
(615) 936-5321
Map and Directions

Outcomes

Our excellent liver transplant outcomes have earned us recognition by OptumHealth, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Interlink and LifeTrac.

Our volume: 126 liver transplants in 2018, and a total of 2,154 since the program’s launch in 1991.
Length of hospital stay: 6 days, compared with an average of 9 days nationally.
3-year (adult) patient survival: 89.74%, compared with 85.08% nationally.
3-year (adult) graft survival: 86.89%, compared with 82.68% nationally.
3-year (pediatric) patient survival: 100%, compared with 93.72% nationally.
3-year (pediatric) graft survival: 100%, compared with 86.33% nationally.

For Referring Physicians

To refer a patient to the Liver Transplant Surgery service, call (615) 936-5321 or (866) 748-1495 our complete our online referral form.