The Liver Center

For diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases and disorders, transplant, and advanced hepatobiliary care

As a parent, your child’s health and safety is your number one concern. The Liver Center at Primary Children’s Hospital is here to help your family and your child during the complex process of treating liver disease and other hepatic disorders. Our expert team of physicians, advanced practitioners, registered nurses, medical assistants, and related specialties are here to care for your child, with the Primary Children’s mission of “The Child First and Always,” as our guiding force.

Liver Center Drs Helipad April 2023

During the past couple years our programs have:

  • Recruited national talent from a variety of top programs in pediatric hepatology, and pediatric hepatobiliary and transplant surgery.
  • Established a new comprehensive therapeutic/interventional endoscopy program for the treatment of pancreas, liver and GI disorders. This is the only such program for children in the Intermountain West, and one of the few programs of its kind in the country.
  • Celebrated our 25th year of pediatric liver transplantation and the completion of our 300th pediatric liver transplant.
  • Continued our participation in the NIH-funded Childhood Liver Disease Research Network. This is a research program at 13 leading pediatric liver centers in North America and enrolls patients in studies with conditions such as biliary atresia.
  • Built the world’s largest patient database of pediatric primary sclerosing cholangitis with 1361 children from 54 centers in 18 countries. Efforts such as this will aid developments in research and treatment for liver disease.

Multidisciplinary Care

More than 30 highly skilled physicians work tirelessly to treat the most complex liver and gastroenterological disorders in our pediatric patients. They are supported by more than 100 staff members including nurse practitioners, RN coordinators, medical assistants, pharmacists, critical care staff, social workers, genetic counselors, child life specialists, dieticians and more. Collaboration and communication between these teams is crucial to delivering the high quality, multidisciplinary care our programs take pride in.

National Recognition & Accreditation

Primary Children's Hospital is nationally ranked as a top children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report in nine specialties including Gastroenterology and GI surgery. 

Hepatobiliary Surgery and Endoscopic Interventions

Primary Children’s Liver Center is one of only a handful of centers in the country that offer specific pediatric therapeutic/interventional endoscopy services. Dr. Trevor Laboda is experienced in these highly specialized, non-invasive procedures that provide your child with the treatment they need, without the bodily stress of surgery. Dr. Laborda is one of about 12 physicians trained in pediatric endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the United States. EUS is an advanced imaging procedure that can be used to collect a non-invasive biopsy from an organ or mass or can be used diagnostically to identify complex diseases. Additionally, other interventional endoscopy services offered include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), luminal stenting for strictures of the GI tract, complex polyp removal and balloon enteroscopy.

Our Liver Center also offers advanced hepatobiliary (pertaining to the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts) surgery techniques that are necessary for treatment of liver diseases and disorders. Our general surgery team works closely with our other specialties and surgeons to make sure your child receives the absolute best treatment for their diagnosis.

While we are so proud of our hepatology, GI, and transplant services, we are honored to offer these less common procedures to our patients in need. Our mission at the Primary Children’s Liver Center is to build a medical home for patients and families who have been searching for the excellent care their child deserves.

Before Your Appointment

At least two weeks prior to your scheduled clinic visit, please be sure to have your or your child’s medical records faxed or mailed to the specific Primary Children’s clinic office from their referring physician’s office. This allows enough time for your records to be processed and reviewed in advance by your physicians and team.

To refer or send records for Liver Disease and/or Transplant patients:
Primary Children’s Outpatient Services
Pediatric Liver Clinic
81 N. Mario Capecchi Drive, 4th Floor
Salt Lake City, Utah 84113

Records can be faxed to (801) 587-7539
Phone: (801) 213-3599

To refer or send records for Hepatobiliary Surgery patients:
Primary Children’s Hospital
General Surgery Clinic
100 Mario Capecchi Dr
Salt Lake City, UT 84113

Records can be faxed to (801) 662-2980
Phone: (801) 662-2950

To refer or send records for Therapeutic Endoscopy patients:
Records can be faxed to: 801-587-7539

Conditions We Treat

Chronic Hepatitis:

Acute Liver Failure:

  • Wilson's Disease
  • Toxins
  • Viral infections

Cholestatic Liver Disease:

  • Biliary Atresia
  • Alagille Syndrome
  • Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC)
  • Sclerosing Cholangitis
  • Neonatal hepatitis

Liver Tumors:

  • Hemangioendothelioma
  • Hepatoblastoma
  • Sarcoma
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma

Metabolic Disorders involving the liver:

More Information

Transplant Services

Click the link below to find out more about liver transplant services at Primary Children's hospital.

Liver Transplants at Primary Children's