The pediatric liver transplant program at Children's Memorial has one of the most experienced pediatric liver transplant teams in the world. As the biggest program of its kind in Illinois, the team's clinical expertise and kid-focused experience matters on multiple levels — since better transplant outcomes often occur at centers with higher patient volumes.
Background on liver disease in children
- Serious liver disease affects approximately 1 in every 2,500 children in the United States. Illnesses such as biliary atresia (the most prevalent form of lethal chronic liver disease that strikes infants), acute viral hepatitis and other serious conditions can erode liver function leading to a spectrum of clinical problems ranging from impaired growth and development to death.
- Less than 15 years ago, most young children diagnosed with biliary atresia died before the age of two because they were considered too small to receive a liver transplant. Now, infants with this condition are routinely transplanted with high success rates. A major hurdle to overcome has been the scarcity of donors in this age group. This has led to advances in both cadaveric and living donor donation. Learn more here about biliary atresia.
For more information on liver transplants, please email us at
SiragusaTransplantWeb@childrensmemorial.org.*
* PLEASE NOTE: To protect your privacy, it is the policy of Children's Memorial Hospital to discourage the sending of protected health information via e-mail. For questions about possible referrals, please contact the nurses and other staff members at 1.800.KIDS DOC. (1.800.543.7362)