Liver transplantation was introduced as a clinical procedure over 30 years ago. Since that time, the number of liver
transplants performed yearly in the United States has increased to an annual rate of well over 4,000.
The development of effective immunosuppressive drugs and the refinement of surgical procedures have led to
remarkable improvements in the long-term success of liver transplantation. This procedure is now widely recognized
as an effective, and preferred, therapeutic option for the treatment of end-stage liver disease.
The liver transplant program at UCLA was inaugurated in 1984 and has grown to be the most active program in the
world. Since the program's inception, liver transplants have been performed at UCLA for infants, children and adults,
focusing on innovative surgical techniques, advances in immunosuppressive drugs and quality patient
care.
As the most experienced liver transplantation program in the western United States, UCLA serves patients from
California, Oregon, Washington, and throughout the Southwest, and acts as a tertiary referral center for other
transplant programs faced with particularly challenging cases.
