Mayo Clinic liver transplant program ranked as nation's largest

Thursday, March 31, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 31, 2005 — Mayo Clinic performs the largest number of liver transplants and ranks as the nation's largest liver transplant center, according to the recent report from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. In 2004, Mayo Clinic transplant surgeons performed 395 liver transplants. Of these, 245 were performed at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.; 97 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; and 53 at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"More important than our rank in terms of numbers is the fact that we have transplant teams incredibly committed to the needs of our patients," says Denis Cortese, M.D., president and CEO of Mayo Clinic. "Our liver transplant program has one of the highest patient survival rates in the country. That's a testimony to the skill, commitment and dedication at each of our locations."

Patients with chronic, progressive liver diseases such as hepatitis are candidates for liver transplantation when other medical or surgical treatments fail or are not options. Mayo Clinic sees seriously ill patients, some with complex medical issues who have been referred by other transplant centers that deem them too ill or risky to transplant.

In 2004, Mayo Clinic also performed the most living donor liver transplants in the country. Of the 32 living liver transplants performed at Mayo Clinic, 17 were performed in Arizona, 14 in Rochester, and one in Jacksonville.

At the three locations, Mayo surgeons have performed a total of 2,591 liver transplants since the procedure was first performed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester in 1988.

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