The End-Stage Liver Disease and Liver Transplant Program is part of the Transplant Center, a joint program of Children’s Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital with vital support by Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin for tissue typing and research initiatives.The program is certified for liver transplantation by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.  

Physicians Referrals and Appointment Requests

A Leader in Liver Transplantation

Our program has a long history of transplant innovation and leadership, marked by several key milestones: 

  • 1983: Performed Wisconsin’s first liver transplant.
  • 1999: Performed the state’s first live donor liver transplant.
  • 2013: Achieved another milestone with the first in situ split-liver transplant, dividing one deceased donor liver into two functional grafts – saving two lives from a single organ.
  • 2025: Recognized as one of the top Liver Transplant Programs in the country for its outcomes. *For the most current transplant outcomes, visit the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). 

These accomplishments demonstrate why our Liver Transplant Program is the only one in eastern Wisconsin to provide this level of expertise.

Why Choose Froedtert & MCW for Your Liver Transplant

Superior Liver Transplant Patient Survival

Froedtert Hospital’s End-Stage Liver Disease and Liver Transplant Program offers consistent excellence in liver transplant survival outcomes that meet or exceed national benchmarks. For the most current outcomes, visit the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR).

Adult (18+) 1-year Conditional Graft Failure Liver Hazard Ratio Program Comparison

This figure shows that Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital (WISE) Liver Transplant Program had the lowest hazard ratio in the nation for graft failure in the first year after transplant (for grafts surviving the first 90 days). The Estimated Hazard Ratio shows whether the program has higher than expected (greater than 1.0) or lower than expected (less than 1.0) failure rates (graft failures or patient deaths). Source: Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Accessed [Feb. 9, 2026]. 

To view additional Liver Transplant data through an interactive report, visit WISE Overview | SRTR Data Visualization.

Exceptional Liver Transplant Care

Our liver tranplant program delivers strong multidisciplinary care with highly experienced physicians and expertise in a wide range of specialties. This is critical, because patients with end-stage liver disease often have underlying conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders and osteoporosis. They also are prone to complications of liver disease, such as cirrhosis. Through the breadth of specialties and resources available, we adeptly provide care that encompasses all patient needs.

The team includes hepatologists and transplant surgeons, who are joined by experienced transplant coordinators, transplant nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, social workers, psychologists, registered dietitians, financial liaisons and other transplant specialists. 

The goal is to ensure patients are as healthy as possible when they undergo liver transplant or donation surgery. After surgery, liver transplant recipients and donors recover on a patient care unit dedicated to transplant patient care. 

Multi-Organ Transplants

We are highly experienced in complex and multi-organ transplantation, including combined liver-kidney and other dual-organ procedures. This depth of expertise allows us to care for patients with advanced, complex conditions who may not be candidates elsewhere. 

Innovative Research and Care

Physicians at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Froedtert Hospital participate in advanced research that advances the development of new and more effective treatments for end-stage liver disease patients. Ongoing clinical trials are available for eligible patients.  

Appointments
414-777-7700
Request Appointment
View Specialists Treatment Locations Contact Us

FAQ and Resources

  • Specific blood tests and a liver biopsy are the best way to tell how much damage has been done to the liver.

  • A liver biopsy is an outpatient procedure to obtain a small piece of the liver for testing under the microscope. It is the gold standard for determining the extent of your liver disease and your liver’s ability to function. For the procedure, the area is cleansed with a sterile solution. A local anesthetic is used and a small needle is inserted between the ribs into the liver to obtain a sample. Recovery takes about two to three hours, and patients go home the same day with instructions to avoid any heavy lifting for a few days. The risks associated with a liver biopsy are minimal. We safely perform hundreds of liver biopsies each year at Froedtert Hospital.

  • Whether or not you’ll need a transplant can best be determined based on information obtained from a liver biopsy, blood tests, clinical evaluation and a detailed conversation with your hepatologist about your disease and the risks and benefits of a transplant.

  • Before you ask to be placed on a transplant list, you should understand your condition as completely as possible as well as the pros and cons of receiving a transplant. In some cases, you might be better off without a transplant. That may change in the future if your disease changes, but understanding your disease and all the options open to you, as well as the risks of each option, will help you make an informed decision. It’s our job to monitor you and know when to start thinking of a transplant.

  • After undergoing a thorough evaluation, eligible patients are placed on a national transplant waiting list based on the severity of their liver disease, ensuring that the sickest patients receive organs first, regardless of how long they’ve been on the list. Patients with acute liver failure, for example, are placed at the top of the list because of their immediate need for a transplant.

  • After undergoing a thorough evaluation, eligible patients are placed on a national transplant waiting list based on the severity of their liver disease, ensuring that the sickest patients receive organs first, regardless of how long they’ve been on the list. Patients with acute liver failure, for example, are placed at the top of the list because of their immediate need for a transplant.

  • Wait list placement is based on the MELD score, ensuring that the sickest patients receive organs first, regardless of how long they’ve been on the list. Patients with acute liver failure, for example, are placed at the top of the list because of their immediate need for a transplant.

  • No. Being on the list longer does not mean a patient will receive a liver any sooner.

  • Yes. Some patients will ask to be put on a waiting list in more than one region because the waiting times may be longer in their home region.

  • Several conditions might make a patient ineligible for a liver transplant. The most common are advanced heart or lung disease that would make the surgery risky, and liver cancer that is beyond the transplant criteria or has spread outside of the liver. Cessation of alcohol, tobacco and recreational drug use and adequate rehabilitation are also mandatory for patients who had history of using these substances.

  • More information is available through the following resources:

    United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)

    Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients

    Transplant Living

    American Liver Foundation

    Learn about our Transplant Center partners, Children’s Wisconsin, Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Rated as High Performing by U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report rated Froedtert Hospital as high performing in seven adult specialties and 21 procedures and conditions, including gastroenterology and GI surgery.

More to Explore