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What to expect with Liver Transplant Team?

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Posted 2/10/2014 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
By the way I just spoke to the people at the University of Washington Medical Center and they told me my wife is seeing the liver transplant team not just an individual at the Hepatology clinic and that they would give me a call once the financial team gets everything approved which they
assured me wouldn't take to much longer.

My question is do they begin treating her if they place her on the transplant list up until the actual transplant takes place or does her current doctor? I am kind of confused about what to expect.

Thanks in advance
Larry
Posted 2/10/2014 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
In my situation, I had a local doctor, a hepatologist at MGH and the transplant team. Once I had my transplant, the hepatologist stopped seeing me and my local doc and the transplant team took over. Every transplant center handles it their own way. A friend that went to a different Boston hospital had the same hepatologist from day 1, until after the transplant and up to now. My case was handled by a hepatologist, yet he conferred with the other hepatologists about me every time, after he had seen me. The transplant team gets together daily to discuss all of the transplant patients on the floor at that time. I'm only at MGH every 6 months, so they probably mention my case the following day, but unless there's anything unusual in my case, not much would be mentioned.
Posted 2/11/2014 1:00 AM (GMT 0)
I was under care of gastroenterologist from 1990-2004. Then, I was referred to a Hepatologist. Saw him until 2008 when I was referred to tx center. I was assigned new Hepatologist at that time. Had tx in August. have same Hepatologist post tx.

Susie
Posted 2/11/2014 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
My mom was under the care of a GI doctor whose speciality was liver disease...she saw him every 4-6 weeks. She would also see her hepatologist and transplant team every 3 months. I guess it varies from each transplant center.

For those who are POST transplant...how often do you go to see your transplant transplant team (Every 3 months, 6 months, etc)??? How often are you given an Mri or CT???

Post Edited (Worried daughter2) : 2/10/2014 7:24:23 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/11/2014 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
For Mike he was seeing a GI doc locally until he was referred to Hepatology at U Miami.

He was under their care until it was time for his Pretransplant evaluation. He went to PreTransplant Clinic often for evaluation and ongoing stabilization type treatment. He saw a team, students, docs, surgeons, etc etc.

After the surgery he went to Post Transplant Clinic. This team stayed with him (thought the names changed from time to time as it is a big teaching hospital) until 2 years post transplant.

At that time, since Mike's Hep C was active, he is again being seen by Hepatology. Hepatology will be managing his Hep C treatment, if any.

If he had gets into a study, he will still be in Miami, but research is in another area.

What is confusing is that some of the docs are in more than one clinical area...the Hepatologists oversee hepatology care, pre and post transplants, and research.
Posted 2/11/2014 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
WD,
I had my tx 8/7/13. I saw hep on Sept. 24, October 23, and January 29. My next appt. is July 9.

Have had 3 ultrasound post tx. No MRi's as of yet.
Posted 2/11/2014 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
For the first 3 months after my transplant, I had to go back to MGH every month. Then every 3 months for 3 years, until last year. It's now every 6 months.

At first they were doing an MRI, CT scan and untrasound, 1 of the 3, every 4 months. Now, I just have a yearly MRI.
Posted 2/11/2014 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you, David and Susan. My mom is 9 months post transplant. She's been seeing the transplant team every 3 months as well as having a chest CT and abdominal CT (both with contrast) every 3 months. She has also had an ultrasound a few times since transplant to check the blood flow, etc.
Posted 2/11/2014 3:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the information it is very appreciated.
Posted 2/11/2014 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
I told my docs, no more CT scans unless absolutely necessary, as they use a lot of radiation, unlike an MRI. After daily x rays after my transplant and a myriad of CTs, it's enough. I'd like to survive my transplant and not deal with radiation problems.
Posted 2/14/2014 2:32 PM (GMT 0)
Update:

My wife has her for appointment with the Liver Transplant Team on March 3rd, all the insurance referrals have been approved. I hope everything goes smoothly.She had an appointment scheduled with her regular GI Doctor at the same time so I will reschedule that to a later date. I will need to ask if she will still need to see her regular GI Doctor or not.

Thanks
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