The faculty in the Division of Transplant Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine provides two distinct liver transplant options for patients with end-stage liver disease. The most common liver transplant procedure involves transplantation of a whole liver graft from a deceased brain-dead donor. The second option by the transplant program is a partial liver graft from a living donor (either related or unrelated). The transplant program at the University of Colorado has long-standing experience with both procedures with excellent long-term outcomes.

The kidney transplant service currently provides two options to patients with end-stage renal disease. At present, approximately 50% of our transplant recipients receive a kidney from a deceased donor. The other 50% receive kidneys from living donors both related and unrelated.

For patients with advanced kidney disease (i.e., Chronic Kidney Disease, Stage 4 or 5), and for patients who are already on dialysis, there is a need for effective permanent dialysis access. This is the method of choice and has a lower risk of complications such as infection and blood clots, which are more likely with temporary access methods. Our team offers outpatient procedures to establish access for either peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis. These methods can provide the patient with safer dialysis access for a longer period of time. Learn more

Surgical procedures relating to a broad scope of primary liver tumors and/or cysts are generally undertaken either laparoscopically or open depending on the size and anatomic position of the primary lesion. At present, approximately 50% of liver surgeries performed by the Division of Transplant Surgery are performed laparoscopically. This approach can be converted to an open procedure if necessary. In general, a liver resection may be necessary for both benign and malignant conditions.