Newark, New Jersey – Today, University Hospital announced that The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation has recently successfully performed its 1,500th liver transplant. This is a significant milestone for the Center, the first liver transplant center in New Jersey.
University Hospital’s Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation opened in 1989 and is one of the busiest in the nation.
The Center provides a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach for treatment of complex hepatobiliary disorders, such as: liver masses, bile duct and gall bladder abnormalities, as well as liver diseases, including Hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, liver cancer, and portal hypertension.
“The liver transplant team at University Hospital is among the most productive and highest quality services of its kind in the nation. We are proud to reach this milestone—it reflects our continued dedication to the residents of Newark and beyond,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, President and CEO of University Hospital.
“Reaching the milestone of one thousand and five hundred successful liver transplants is a testament to the incredible work done by the dedicated team here at the Center,” said Dr. Nikolas Pyrsopoulos, Medical Director of Liver Transplantation.
“We are extremely proud of the work of the Center over the years. Moving forward, we will continue providing high-quality care to all of our patients, while implementing innovative procedures that improve the transplantation operation.”
“This is an exciting moment for the Center, and we are thankful for the organ donors and their families for the gift of life that made this possible,” said Dr. James V. Guarrera, Program Director of Liver Transplantation. “We look forward to continuing our engagement with the community around the benefits of transplantation and the life-saving importance of organ donation.”
This milestone was made possible with the help of partners like NJ Sharing Network, a non-profit organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for those in need of a life-saving transplant.
By working in close partnership with hospitals and transplant centers, the number of organs recovered in New Jersey for transplants has quadrupled since the organization was founded.
“NJ Sharing Network is proud to partner with University Hospital and we are thrilled for their incredible achievement,” said Joe Roth, President and CEO of NJ Sharing Network.
“Our goal is to educate New Jersey residents about the importance of organ donation, and this accomplishment says that people are hearing our message. We are committed to working with University Hospital to save even more lives and reach another 1,500 transplants sooner rather than later.”
Events to celebrate our transplant recipients and to highlight the achievements of The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation will be scheduled this fall.
About University Hospital
University Hospital is one of the nation's leading academic medical centers and is the Level 1 Trauma Center for Northern New Jersey. Located at University Heights in Newark, University Hospital is a principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and a regional resource for advanced services across many medical specialties. For more information about University Hospital, please visit www.uhnj.org.