Clinical
Subspecialties
Hepatobiliary
Surgery and Liver Transplantation
Recently,
Loyola University Medical Center has developed a liver transplantation
program, making it the fifth transplantation center in the Chicago
area. The Department of Anesthesia has been involved in the program's
evolution and implementation. Though the program is still quite
young, it has been steadily growing since starting in November
of 1998. Candidates for transplantation come from not only the
Midwest, but also from throughout the country including states
such as Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania and present
with a variety of complex liver diseases. The majority of transplantation
candidates are a result of hepatitis C infection, however, other
causes seen here include alcohol, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary
sclerosing cholangitis, fulminant hepatic failure (from a variety
of causes), and metabolic disorders.
The Department
of Anesthesia is intimately involved in the care of these patients.
We participate not only in the evaluation process for transplant
candidate selection, but also the perioperative management of
these individuals. Residents in anesthesia also are active participants
in the care of the transplantation candidate and are an integral
part of the team.
In addition
to transplantation, Loyola University Medical Center has an active
hepatobiliary service. For both anesthesia residents and faculty,
there is a tremendous amount of exposure to hepatobiliary
surgery including hepatic resections, namely for metastatic disease (but
also for primary hepatocellular carcinomas, hemangiomas, etc.),
biliary reconstructive surgery, and pancreas surgery. Again, the
Department of Anesthesia is involved in all aspects of perioperative
care for these patients.
