Tampa General Leads in Living-Donor Liver Transplants in Florida

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Tampa General Hospital (TGH) is leading the way in living-donor liver transplants in the state of Florida. Since 2023, the academic health system has performed five lifesaving living-donor liver transplants, the most of any hospital in the Sunshine State.

The first of these occurred in May 2023, when Derek Sanz gave his mother, Patty, the ultimate Mother’s Day gift- half of his liver. After more than a year, mother and son report they are doing well, and express gratitude that the TGH Transplant Institute offers a living-donor option. Without it, Patty may have waited anywhere from 30 days to five years for a deceased donor’s organ. Livers are the second-most in-demand organ for transplants (behind kidneys) and represent about 10% of individuals on the national transplant waiting list.

Receiving a donation from a living donor shortens a patient’s wait time and lessens the chance the liver’s condition will worsen. “Living-donor liver transplant is another avenue to save more lives of patients with liver disease in our community,” said Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy, vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute and surgical director of the Comprehensive Liver Disease & Transplant Center. “The profound generosity of living donors circumvents the need for extended periods of time to gain access to lifesaving transplantation.”

With a living-donor transplantation, a healthy person volunteers a portion of their liver to someone whose liver is failing from end-stage disease or cancer. After doctors remove the donated portion, the donor’s remaining liver regrows close to its full size and capacity within a couple of months. The transplanted liver also grows, restoring normal liver function to the recipient.

There are many benefits to living-donor transplantation, and more could be performed with increased public awareness and participation.

The advantages include:

• Timing: A transplant can take place quicker when a living donor is available, rather than waiting for organs from deceased donors.

• Convenience: Hospitals schedule transplants based on the recipient’s and donor’s availability.

• Better outcomes: Research shows that recipients of organs from living donors have better outcomes than those who receive organs from deceased donors.

TGH is a top 10 transplant center in the United States and ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 2024-2025 Best Hospitals in the nation. This new transplant program “is a prime example of Tampa General continuing to drive innovation to deliver world-class health care,” said John Couris, Tampa General president and CEO. “This program opens up additional access to patients in need of a liver transplant and has the potential to transform the lives of patients and their families in the Tampa Bay region, Florida and across the United States.”

Now patients on Florida’s Nature Coast have access to the academic health system’s transplant program. With Tampa General’s acquisition of the Bravera Health network, the system is now a division of Tampa General known as TGH North. Through TGH North, patients in the counties of Citrus and Hernando can connect with the cutting-edge, complex care the TGH Transplant Institute offers.

Both Patty and Derek Sanz have shared their experiences to encourage others to consider a living-donor liver transplant if they have a family member in need. “It worked for us and that’s why we want to get the word out there so that many more people can be saved,” said Patty.

Founded in 1974, Tampa General’s transplant program is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To date, Tampa General surgeons have completed more than 14,000 transplants, including 2,500 liver transplants, ranking the academic health system as the No. 4 hospital in the nation for liver transplants by volume.

TGH is ranked No. 2 in the nation for kidney transplants by volume, and its living-donor kidney transplant program has ranked No. 1 in Florida for the past five years. The academic health system also performed heart, lung and kidney/pancreas operations.

“This is a tremendous achievement for our organization that reflects the clinical expertise of our team and their commitment to excellence and leveraging technology to drive innovation. It’s also a testament to the exceptional quality of care patients find at Tampa General Hospital,” said Couris. “As one of the top five centers in the nation for transplants by volume, Tampa General performs hundreds of transplants each year. More transplants lead to greater proficiency, which produces better patient outcomes.”

For more information about the TGH Transplant Institute, please call (813) 844-7137.