| [ Summary ] |
There are approximately 120 liver transplant centers in the United States. Over 4,000 cadaveric liver transplantates are performed per year. Recently, living donor liver transplant programs have been starteding. A nonprofit, charitable organization, the United Nations Organ Sharing(UNOS) organization encompasses all transplant programs, organ procurement organizations(OPOs), etc. in the US. UNOS helps all patients to have a fair chance at receiving the organ they need and OPOs deal with the identification of donors, recovery, preservation and transportation of organs for transplantation. However, the lack of donors is serious, the waiting time is increasing and many candidates on the waiting list are dying without undergoing liver transplantation. The pre-transplant candidate's condition affects the post-transplant course to such a degree that the management of the candidate and the timing of liver transplantation are both critical. Primary diseases requiring liver transplantation are various and the number of hepatitis C cirrhosis patients is growing. The indications for malignancy are being established with careful staging and thorough pre-transplant treatment. The liver transplant team, as well as the whole hospital staff, is managing many problems, which occur throughout liver transplantation. Liver transplantation in the US is proceeding steadily, following UNOS policies. |