The University of Michigan’s liver transplant program has been ranked among the fastest in the nation for connecting patients with deceased donor liver transplants, according to new federal data.

Ranking and Impact

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, a federal government contractor, evaluated 153 adult liver transplant programs across the United States. The University of Michigan Medical Center ranked fourth nationally in the registry’s ‘Get a Deceased Donor Transplant Faster’ category.

Doctors with U-M’s liver transplant program say reducing wait times can play an important role in improving outcomes for patients, since people often become more ill while waiting for a transplant. ‘A faster time to transplant can increase positive transplant outcomes for patients as they have spent less time becoming sicker on the waitlist,’ said Dr. Alexandra Shingina, director of U-M’s liver transplant program.

According to U-M program data, patients typically spend an average of 14 days from referral to evaluation, 55 days from evaluation to being placed on the transplant list, and 15 days from listing to receiving a transplant. Shingina said the program focuses on balancing speed with patient safety while working to provide the best possible outcomes.

Original reporting: WOWO News/Talk (Fort Wayne) — read the source article.