Family Travels Across the World for Life-Saving Surgery | Maria's New Liver

Liver failure is life-threatening and life changing. Our goal for every liver transplant patient is to improve quality of life and reduce time on the waiting list. As a member of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), Nationwide Children’s participates in the national transplant network that is responsible for all transplants that occur in the United States. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) provides the member requirements and quality oversight that all members must meet to participate in the transplant process. UNOS also oversees the national organ-matching process between candidates and donors. As a member of the OPTN, Nationwide Children’s meets all the regulatory requirements of a transplant center set forth by UNOS. As a free-standing pediatric hospital, Nationwide can ensure your child receives all the care they need before and after transplant. The liver transplant program at Nationwide Children’s focuses on maximizing a patient’s health before, during and after transplantation. Our goal is to help your child achieve an ideal outcome after their liver transplant. In 2021, Nationwide Children’s welcomed nationally recognized pediatric transplant surgeon Jaimie D. Nathan, MD, to serve as chief of Pediatric Abdominal Transplant and Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery. Dr. Nathan has devoted his career to pediatric solid organ transplantation and has extensive experience in caring for the most complex liver transplant patients and in utilizing all technical variant grafts. Dr. Nathan leads a team of multidisciplinary specialists who guide patients through every step of the transplant journey, from evaluation and diagnosis through surgery and long-term follow-up. Under Dr. Nathan’s leadership, the liver transplant team at Nationwide Children’s offers a comprehensive expertise tailored to meet your child’s specific health care needs. Our hepatologists have advanced training in the medical management of pediatric liver transplantation, providing a full spectrum of care starting with the onset of illness through the long-term post-transplant timeframe. In 2022, our surgical team welcomed Sara K. Rasmussen, MD, PhD, pediatric transplant surgeon, who brings additional advanced expertise in technical variant grafts for pediatric liver transplantation. Patients and families are further supported by our transplant coordinators, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, and dietitians.