Overview of Pediatric Liver Transplant Program

A liver transplant may be the best and only alternative for children and their families who have exhausted other approaches to the treatment of severe pediatric chronic liver disease.

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's Pediatric Liver Transplant Program provides medical care to pediatric patients before and after transplant. As the largest pediatric liver transplant center in Wisconsin, we follow the most children with liver disease in the state. We have performed more than 100 liver transplants.

Liver transplants offer treatment for many forms of end-stage liver disease. Liver transplants performed at Children's include live donor, in which a healthy person donates a part of his or her liver, deceased donor, and split and reduced liver transplants, which involve use of an organ from a cadaver. Families dealing with the overwhelming nature of a chronic childhood disease need innovative care and strong integrated support.

Our experts are leaders in the field of pediatric liver transplantation and  work with children and their families to ensure the best outcomes possible. Our highly skilled multidisciplinary team develops pre- and post-transplant treatment options for our patients. 

Our specialists include:

• Pediatric transplant surgeons specialize in liver and kidney transplants and perform the surgery.
• Pediatric hepatologists specialize in the care of children with end-stage liver disease before and after surgery.
• Pediatric anesthesiologists play an important role during transplant surgery. They have a special interest in children and have special training in pediatrics.
• Transplant coordinators are instrumental in the management of care for these children and the education of their families before, during and after surgery.
• Social workers provide individual as well as family counseling and support.
• Pediatric dietitians help keep patients nourished before a transplant and during the recovery phase.
• Pediatric nurse clinicians experienced in caring for liver transplant recipients provide excellent care and help parents understand the daily care of their child, including medication management and overall well-being.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) is the private, nonprofit organization that manages the nation's organ transplant system under contract with the federal government. They provide up-to-date information on transplant trends including the number of children waiting for a liver transplant in the United States.