The Detroit News Monday, January 21, 2008 -- Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak has received state approval to develop a new liver transplant program, only the third in the state.

The program will offer both traditional and live-donor liver transplantation services, the hospital said today. Traditional surgeries are done with organs from deceased owners, and live-donor surgeries transplant a portion of a living donor's liver to an individual in need of a transplant.
"With nearly 400 Michigan residents currently waiting for a liver transplant, there is definitely a need for another program," Dr. Charles Shanley, senior vice president and chairman of the department of surgery, said in a statement. "The ability to perform live-donor transplants will allow Beaumont to fill the unmet need by providing liver transplant procedures to Michigan residents waiting on the donor list."

Liver transplants are the second most common transplant procedure performed in the United States, next to kidney transplants. About 17,200 Americans are on waiting lists to receive a liver transplant, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Henry Ford Hospital and the University of Michigan's University Hospital are the other two hospitals offering a liver transplant program in the state. Beaumont's program will add to its kidney transplant center, which has been performing kidney transplants for more than 20 years. Beaumont Royal Oak conducted a national search for a transplant surgeon, the results of which will be announced soon, Shanley said in a news release.