Liver Specialists Reach Major Milestones and Establish New Programs
Liver Transplant Program Reaches Multiple Milestones
Cleveland Clinic in Florida has crossed the threshold of more than 400 liver transplants since its transplant program opened in 2013. The program also accomplished two other major milestones recently, completing its first split-liver transplant and a rare transplant involving a living donor who did not know the recipient.?
A split-liver transplant divides a deceased donor’s liver, giving one portion to a pediatric patient and the other portion to an adult patient. This strategy maximizes the availability of donor organs in the region. It also offers a unique treatment opportunity for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and other forms of liver cancer, according to Antonio Pinna, MD, director of the Abdominal Transplant Center and the Living Donor Liver Transplant Program.?
Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Transplant Center is one of only a few in Florida transplanting livers from living donors.?
Subscribe to The Rounding Report with Cleveland Clinic in Florida.
Renowned Liver Transplant Expert Establishes Machine Perfusion Program
An innovator in novel methods for organ donation has joined Cleveland Clinic in Florida. He has established a machine perfusion program here to better preserve donated livers.?
领英推荐
David J. Reich, MD, FACS, is a pioneer in organ donation after circulatory death (DCD). His research examines novel ways to preserve and recondition organs before transplantation to increase organ availability and transplant access.??
The new program uses normothermic and hypothermic perfusion devices to circulate oxygenated blood through donated livers to better preserve them before transplantation. The approach provides better outcomes than traditional static cold storage. The Cleveland Clinic in Florida Liver Transplant Program is one of only a few with experience using both approaches to dynamic preservation.?
Using a Tumor Board Model to Improve Care of Liver Disease
Cleveland Clinic in Florida has implemented and expanded a tumor board model to improve care of patients with several types of complex liver disease. The multidisciplinary Liver Tumor Board now conducts weekly video case conferences to discuss diagnosis and treatment options for complex liver cancers, advanced hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver failure and biliary tract diseases.?
The board includes a wide range of providers across southeast Florida. Specialists include hepatology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgery, pathology, radiology, interventional radiology, nursing, patient navigation, social work and genetics. It also welcomes participation by referring physicians.?
The specialists recommend and implement multimodal treatment plans, working to optimize patient adherence. The board also accelerates care by facilitating earlier intervention, efficiently combining specialty consultations, according to Xaralambos Zervos, DO, MBA, and Nikhil Kapila, MD.?
Learn more about referring your patients to Cleveland Clinic in Florida.?