Medical Services > Transplants

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s liver transplant program provides comprehensive medical and surgical care for patients with end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation. The liver transplant program is an essential component of a broad medical and surgical strategy to manage all patients with liver disease with the therapy most appropriate to them. UT Southwestern’s liver transplant program combines the multidisciplinary expertise of transplant surgery and hepatology to determine whether liver transplantation is a viable option for the patient. Experts in all areas of liver disease participate in the evaluation, management, treatment and follow-up of liver transplant patients.

Successful liver transplants provide a new chance for a longer, more active life for people in the final stages of liver disease, or end-stage liver disease. Physicians at UT Southwestern perform extensive research and are well published in the field of liver transplantation and care. In particular, research conducted by members of our team has centered around the optimal selection of patients for liver transplantation. This expertise translates directly to the team’s ability to provide excellent patient care for individuals with end-stage liver disease.

Headed by experts in traditional and split-liver transplantation, our liver transplant team constantly explores new avenues to improve patient care while maintaining high safety standards. The team's success in this area can been seen in our increasing transplant volumes and patient-survival statistics.

Excellent outcomes achieved by our team are a result of:

• Selection of the most appropriate transplant candidates
• World-renowned medical and surgical transplant specialists
• Expertise in caring for liver failure and liver transplant patients
• Rigorous pursuit of leading-edge therapies and promising new drugs
• Availability of advanced expertise in nearly every specialty

Liver transplantation is indicated for patients who have:

• Any complication of chronic liver disease (ascites, variceal bleeding, encephalopathy)
• Fulminant hepatic failure
• Inherited metabolic liver disorders
• Hepatocellular carcinoma, when small and not spread beyond the liver
• No alternative form of therapy
• No absolute contraindication to liver transplantation
• A willingness and ability to accept liver transplantation, comply with follow-up care, and provide for the costs of both transplantation and post-transplant care

UT Southwestern’s transplant team not only has world-class expertise in the care and management of patients with all forms of liver disease and those undergoing liver transplantation, but UT Southwestern faculty and staff are highly active in multiple research areas. Physicians apply the latest advances in medical research to patient care as part of the only academic center in Dallas with world-class strength in biomedical research.

Our goal is to provide the highest quality care and to restore each patient to a full and productive life. UT Southwestern physicians pride themselves on maintaining a feeling of "family" between the patient and their family, physicians, nurses and administrative staff. We work closely with the patient, referring gastroenterologist, family practitioner and primary care physician to develop the best treatment and follow-up care to meet the patient's needs.

In addition to our expert physicians, our transplant team includes:

Transplant Coordinators

Karen Merriman-Noesges, RN, BSN
Sandra Hooker, RN, BSN, MBA

Transplant Social Worker

April Morgan, LMSW

Nurse Practitioner

Janel Tedesco, RN, ACNP

Transplant Administration

Landon V. Ware, MBA – Administrator
Emilie Fay, MSW – Program Manager
Tina Tedder – Financial Coordinator