The liver is an organ on the right side of the abdomen. It filters toxins out of the blood and helps the body filter nutrients. When the liver stops functioning properly, serious health problems result.

Those with serious liver disease can receive treatment to slow their condition's progression and keep them relatively healthy. Still, ultimately, liver failure will take place. Unlike those who suffer from kidney disease, patients with End Stage Liver Disease (E.S.L.D.) have no choice but transplantation if they wish to prolong their lives. There is no way to compensate for lost liver function.

Since the first liver transplants in the 1960s, liver transplantation has become a very successful treatment for E.S.L.D. The advent of immunosuppression medications has drastically increased the transplanted organ's life and decreased rejection episodes, prolonging the recipient's life. Modern surgical procedures and technology have also brought success to liver transplantation. The Intermountain Transplant Center consistently achieves patient and graft survival rates above the national average, with waiting times two months shorter than the national time.