Specialists at the University of Minnesota Medical Center’s Liver Clinic and the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital have a national reputation in the treatment of liver diseases, including liver failure. Our full range of care, coupled with leading-edge research, results in superior outcomes for children receiving treatment at the university.
When that treatment involves a liver transplant, your child will receive excellent care at our Transplant Center. Our team of specialists has performed more than 540 pediatric liver transplants since 1964. In 1982, we performed a successful liver transplant on an 11-month-old infant, who has become the world’s longest living pediatric liver recipient. Our living-donor liver transplants have some of the highest success rates in the United States. Our goal is to provide treatments leading to your child’s highest quality of life.
Liver Disease
Your child’s liver helps absorb food, eliminates toxic substances, and makes important proteins. Diseases of the liver in children are usually genetic, autoimmune, or caused by viruses or toxins. Often, the first sign of liver disease in young children is jaundice, caused by a buildup of bilirubin. Your child also might experience fever and abdominal pain or swelling. When the liver becomes scarred, it can lead to bleeding or to liver failure, which is life threatening. Many children with end-stage liver failure are candidates for transplant. The most common reason for liver transplant is biliary atresia.
