Why Choose Cincinnati Children's
Shorter average times on the transplant waitlist
- The median wait time for a new liver at Cincinnati Children’s is 3.7 months, compared to the national median wait time of 8.7 months.
- 66.2% of our patients receive a transplant within one year of waitlisting, compared to 49.3% nationally.
- Our mortality rate for children on the waitlist is almost half the national average.
Liver Care Clinic appointments are available in-person within 48 hours – faster if the need is urgent
We also offer second opinion appointments urgently. Our team begins coordinating the second opinion appointment as soon as they receive the child’s medical record.
Expertise in treating complex conditions
Many patients seek out Cincinnati Children’s because our team has the experience and expertise to care for children who have rare, advanced and difficult-to-diagnose liver disease or need a multi-organ transplant.
Specialized therapies for children with liver tumors
Our liver transplant team works closely with cancer specialists at Cincinnati Children’s to coordinate each child’s care and offer advanced cancer therapies before and after transplantation.
State-of-the-art imaging, surgical and treatment technologies
One example is the Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System, or MARS, which removes toxic substances from the body to help maintain liver function while a patient awaits a transplant.
Cutting-edge liver disease research
The Liver Care Center at Cincinnati Children’s conducts basic and clinical research studies to find new therapies for end-stage liver disease, including nonsurgical alternatives to liver transplant.
Why Are We Quicker to Transplant?
Our average waitlist times are shorter than those at other centers across the United States for two main reasons.
First, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s geographic location provides patients the opportunity to match with a lifesaving organ. This can mean less time on the transplant waitlist, less stress on families and a faster return to school, play and all the other activities of life that children deserve.
The second reason is that Cincinnati Children’s offers many transplant options: living-related liver donation, altruistic (anonymous) living liver donation, and split/partial or whole organ deceased donor transplants. This versatility improves patients’ chances that they will match to a donor organ. In 2020 alone, our team did 39 liver transplants – the highest number of any pediatric transplant center in the United States.
