Improving Life After Liver Transplantation

More children than ever are surviving liver transplantation at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and returning home healthy enough to enjoy a quality of life that includes school, play, friends, and other joys of childhood.

Advances in organ preservation, surgical technique, immunosuppression, and postoperative care have all contributed to better survival rates among young patients and a much better quality of life after liver transplantation.

Recent advances in research and clinical research programs at Children’s Hospital include new immunosuppression protocols developed with colleagues at UPMC Presbyterian, and better ways to diagnose and treat infections before they have a chance to complicate recovery.

Read about how UPMC Children’s Hospital, as well as patients and parents, can improve life after a liver transplant.

Adjusting to Home
Learn about the services Children’s Hospital provides for families to better prepare them to deal with the challenges of adjusting to home after liver transplantation.

Age Matters
The age of a child at the time of his or her liver transplant may help determine the issues he or she will face during recovery.

Better Quality of Life
Learn the milestones that liver transplant patients can expect after one and three years post-transplant, such as no longer needing a catheter, TPN, gastronomy tube, or physical therapy.

Recent Advances
Learn about the changes in immunosuppression protocols and the prescription of antirejection drugs has helped lower the incidents of organ rejection and improved patients' quality of life after liver transplantation.