Jefferson's Liver Transplant Team Performs 300th Transplant

The Liver Transplant Program at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, the first hospital to successfully establish a liver transplant program in the Philadelphia area, recently hit a milestone by performing its 300th transplant.

The transplant was performed on a 49-year-old Northeast Philadelphia resident with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis, said Michael Moritz, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of the Division of Transplantation, Jefferson Medical College (JMC).

Dr. Moritz, Director of Jefferson Hospital's liver transplant program, said he was very proud of the work performed by the program staff.

"Since the program's inception in April 1984, the number of tranplants each year has steadily increased in volume, and our patient outcomes have improved as well," he said.

Mitchell Conn, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, and Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at Jefferson, said,

"I've done work in liver transplants for the last 10 years, and I still find it to be a marvel of medicine. Having reached a milestone of 300 transplants allows me to really look back and reflect on all the positive effects we've had on people's lives ­ not just our recipients, giving them a second chance on life, but the effects we've had on donor families. I feel very privileged to have been involved in such a wonderful endeavor."

Jefferson's Liver Transplant Program is the longest standing and most experienced such effort in the area and is part of Thomas Jefferson University's comprehensive liver disease service. The program has a special focus on saving acute end-stage hepatitis patients and has accomplished such rare procedures as heterotopic liver transplants, which call for implanting a second liver in cases, for example, where a patient experiences acute liver failure. The comprehensive services provided by the division include managing liver cancer, complex biliary surgery, portal hypertension surgery, dialysis access, and kidney and pancreas transplantation.

The Liver Transplant Center's experienced team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and hepatologists includes:

Surgeons

• John Radomski, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, JMC
• Vincent Armenti, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgery, JMC
• Gary Wilson, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery, JMC

Hepatologists

• Steven Herrine, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, JMC
• Mark Zern, MD, Professor of Medicine, JMC

Transplant Coordinators

• Ursula Hobbs, BSN, CCTC
• Susan Hozey, MSN, CCTC