You can call (866) 548-3783 toll-free to make a referral to the liver transplant program at the Shands Transplant Center at the University of Florida. After receiving healthy new organs, patients are eager to return to their communities and begin their new lives. Most patients return home after discharge with arrangements for laboratory monitoring and evaluation by the transplant team and local physicians. Patients who live far from Shands at UF sometimes have to stay in the Gainesville area for a few weeks after their transplant. The Shands Transplant Center Housing is available for liver transplant patients and their families during the pre- and post-transplant phases.

Each patient's length of stay depends on various factors, including prior hospital course, stability of immunosuppressive dosages and the need for other care such as wound management, physical therapy and intravenous drug therapy.

Recovery involves regular laboratory testing at a local hospital or clinic laboratory. Results are reported to the transplant office and can be forwarded to the referring physician's office if desired. These results, especially liver function tests, are monitored closely by the transplant coordinator and by patients using a transplant logbook. If an abnormal trend is identified, further evaluation and diagnostic tests may be warranted. Rejection and infection are most likely to occur within the first six months after transplant; therefore patients are followed more intensely during that period.

Although the Liver Transplant Team follows patients on a regular basis for life, primary care is usually returned to the patient's referring physician about six months after surgery. In most instances, patients will return home with a healthy liver. The greatest challenge for the referring physician is to monitor immunosuppressed transplant patients for evidence of infection and rejection, while providing for their other medical needs. The referring physician needs to pay special attention to the possibility of drug interactions when prescribing new medications.

Liver Support Group
The Shands Transplant Center Liver Transplant Program founded a support group that provides education and psychosocial support for patients who have liver disease and are awaiting liver transplants and who have been transplanted. You may refer your patients to the Liver Transplant Program at (352) 265-0754 for the next scheduled meeting of the support group.

Statistics
Success rate and various other statistics regarding the Shands Transplant Center at UF are available from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients at ustransplant.org.

Contact
For more information about the Shands Transplant Center at UF, call us toll-free at (866) 548-3783.

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Make an Appointment

To make an appointment or find out more information about transplant services offered at Shands at the University of Florida, please call 352.265.8000 or toll-free 1.800.749.7424

You may also email our Consultation Center (consult@shands.ufl.edu) or use our secure online form.