To be considered as a liver transplant candidate, individuals must first get a referral to The University of Kansas Hospital Liver Transplant Program. The referral can be provided by a primary care physician, gastroenterologist, hepatologist or other health care provider.
After the referral is received, and the financial coordinators determine that The University of Kansas Hospital is approved by a patient's insurance to perform the transplant procedure, the patient will be seen by a liver transplant hepatologist and the pre-transplant nurse coordinator. The transplant hepatologist will determine if the patient is a possible candidate for transplantation. If so, an evaluation will be scheduled.
It is important that the transplant team know as much as possible about a potential liver transplant recipient to determine their acceptability for transplantation. The transplant team needs the following information:
- Alcohol And Drug Rehabilitation
Many liver diseases are caused by alcohol or drug consumption. Any patient with liver disease caused by substance abuse must have documented counseling for six months before he or she can be evaluated as a liver transplant candidate. These patients will have periodic testing before their transplant, and will be ineligible for transplant if substance abuse is indicated.
- Insurance Information
Most insurance carriers now have contracts with certain health care providers. The first step in a patient's evaluation is to have their insurance carrier information assessed by our transplant financial coordinators, who will determine if an individual can be transplanted at The University of Kansas Hospital. Patients can contact one of our transplant financial coordinators any time after they are referred, to clarify any questions one may have regarding insurance coverage or discuss other available payment options for the transplant.
- Your Medical History
Information should include any recent visits to specialists or discharge summaries from any hospitalizations the patient has had during the past two years. Other important information includes clinical summaries of physical examinations, surgical and biopsy reports and the results from any diagnostic testing (including X-rays, heart studies and lab reports) that have been performed. All of this information will be reviewed by the transplant team prior to scheduling any testing.
For additional information about making referrals, please contact the Liver Transplant Program at The University of Kansas Hospital at (913) 588-1227 or toll-free (800) 332-6048.