The liver transplant program at the University Hospital Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation in Newark has been named the regional leader in one-year survival rates by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients for the second consecutive evaluation period.
The center, which is led by the nationally recognized physicians at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, has an estimated one-year survival rate of 98.75%.
The center ranked No. 4 in the country — just 1.25 percentage points behind national co-leaders University Hospitals of Cleveland and Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Montifiore Medical Center in the Bronx and New York University Langone Medical Center in Manhattan are the closest-ranking New York tri-state area hospitals.
Dr. Nikolaos Pyrsopoulos, medical director of the liver transplant program, obviously was thrilled by the honor.
“We are proud that SRTR continues to recognize us as one of the top liver transplant programs in the region and one of the highest-ranked programs in the entire nation,” he said. “The awareness generated by the SRTR ranking helps patients know that excellent care is available in Newark, thanks to the accomplished team at University Hospital and our health care partners at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.”
The center is the first in New Jersey and one of 61 such centers nationally. Since it opened in 1989, the center has performed more than 1,500 liver transplant surgeries, including over 80 transplants in the last two years alone.
The SRTR, operated by the Chronic Disease Research Group, a division of the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, is a federally supported program. Evaluations of liver transplant programs are released twice a year, in January and July.
Dr. James Guarrera, the liver transplant program director, said the honor is a reflection of the entire transplant team.
“Our exceptional transplant outcome data showcase the skill and dedication of the University Hospital transplant surgeons and physicians, but, even more importantly, are evidence of the seamless integration of an outstanding multidisciplinary team,” he said.
University Hospital CEO Shereef Elnahal was grateful for the recognition.
“This ranking reinforces what many patients already know — the Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation is doing amazing work to save lives of people in our community throughout the region,” he said. “We are thankful for the leadership of Drs. Pyrsopoulos and Guarrera, our dedicated hospital care team members and the active support of our partners at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.”
