The UPMC Living Donor Transplant program is one of the largest and most experienced in the country. In 2017 and 2018, UPMC was the only center to perform more living donor transplants than deceased donor transplants.
Through increased education about living donation and by working to make living-donor liver transplant a first resort for patients waiting for a transplant, UPMC is on a mission to save lives.
If your child is on the liver transplant waiting list, identifying a living donor can help them gain access to transplant sooner. During a living-donor liver transplant, a healthy adult can donate a portion of their liver to someone on the transplant waiting list. In a few months after the transplant, the donor’s and the recipient’s liver will regenerate, or regrow.
Living donor transplant offers a lot of benefits, including:
Reduced time on the waiting list
Improved long-term outcomes and quicker recovery time
The ability to schedule surgery when the patient is at their healthiest
Many people around the country are still unaware that living-donor liver transplants are possible or that the liver regenerates. So to help increase access to transplant, UPMC is educating the public about this vital surgery through their Facebook page in partnership with Donate Life America.
You can help too!
To join the effort to save lives through living donation:
Join the conversation on Facebook. Like, comment, and share.
Become a Living Donor Champion and help your loved one find a donor with the resources at UPMC.com/LivingDonorChampion.
Educate yourself about living donor transplants at UPMC HealthBeat, so you can help raise awareness.
Hold an event in your community using resources made available at UPMC.com/LivingDonorCommunity.
Together with UPMC, we can make a difference and spread awareness of living donation. To learn more, visit LifeChangingLiver.com.
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