Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency

AATD care at Mayo Clinic

• Your Mayo Clinic care team. At Mayo Clinic, specialists from many departments work together to diagnose and treat people with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). These include specialists in clinical genomics, pulmonary medicine, lung transplant, pulmonary rehabilitation, gastroenterology and hepatology, liver transplant, pediatric hepatology, dermatology, vascular services, nutrition, and radiology.

• Advanced diagnosis and treatment. You'll have access to the latest technology and specialized techniques to improve diagnosis and care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic offers in-house comprehensive genetic testing for AATD. Virtually every test and therapy for diagnosis and treatment of COPD is available at Mayo Clinic, including state-of-the-art stop-smoking treatment.

  Mayo Clinic researchers invented state-of-the-art imaging that helps Mayo specialists find liver disease early, giving people the opportunity to start treatment sooner and helping improve outcomes. Doctors, specialists and surgeons work with a wide array of specialties and work as a team to provide comprehensive care.

• Care focused on you. The healthcare team at Mayo Clinic takes the time to get to know you and work with you to provide exactly the care you need. Mayo Clinic team members work together closely to plan your care. This collaboration means your appointments will be coordinated and your test results will be ready quickly. Evaluation and treatment that might take months elsewhere can typically be done in only a matter of days at Mayo Clinic.

Expertise and rankings

Innovation and research

Mayo Clinic is one of the leading treatment centers for COPD and other lung conditions. Mayo specialists also have expertise in treating alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, a genetic form of emphysema that is often unrecognized. Doctors at Mayo treat thousands of people each year who have COPD. Mayo Clinic is recognized for top-quality pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine by a variety of national organizations.

Experts in Mayo Clinic's Transplant Center have extensive expertise and experience in evaluating and treating adults who may need lung transplants. Highly skilled surgeons do lung transplant surgery.

Transplant expertise

The liver transplant teams in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota are leaders and innovators in transplants for people with liver cancer and use of antirejection drugs that help ensure positive outcomes.

People with challenging health situations come to Mayo Clinic for help because our doctors and surgeons are experts in specialized liver transplant options.

The Mayo Clinic Transplant Center supports many studies for liver transplant research. For example, Mayo Clinic researchers are developing a bioartificial liver that could help patients cope as they await a donor liver.

Liver transplant outcomes at Mayo Clinic compare favorably with the national average.

Nationally ranked

Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report. Research conducted at Mayo Clinic has produced new treatments of liver disease, IBD and many other GI conditions; new technologies to identify causes of irritable bowel syndrome and other motility disorders; and a new generation of endoscopic techniques to perform incision-free procedures for obesity and other complex GI conditions.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery, gastroenterological surgery, neurosurgery and lung surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2024–2025 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.

Locations, travel and lodging

Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.

For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:

Costs and insurance

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.