Ochsner Health Expands Liver Transplant Access Through Multidisciplinary Care

Ochsner Health recently performed its 4000th liver transplant, marking a milestone for a program that has completed 10,000 organ transplants across kidney, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas transplantation.¹ More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for an organ transplant, underscoring ongoing challenges in organ availability and access to transplantation.²

"They don't just show up and get a transplant. It's a long-term relationship that we develop with our patients," Ari Cohen, MD, MBA, director of the Ochsner Transplant Institute, said in an interview with HCPLive.

Multidisciplinary Care Before and After Liver Transplantation

"There’s a lot of management of their care prior to transplant, with coordinated care among our medical team, our surgical team, and the rest of our support services," Cohen said.

He described transplantation as a long-term relationship that extends beyond the surgical procedure, with care tailored to each patient's needs.

"We've developed it to be personalized for each patient, and we have different team support at every step of their pathway through transplant," he said.

Multidisciplinary Clinics Aim to Improve Transplant Access

"Our biggest gap is getting patients in to see us and providing an entryway into the system," Cohen said. "We live in an area that is challenged with access, and we've created innovative ways to get people into our clinic."

Cohen said the institute uses multidisciplinary clinics and one-day evaluations to help patients access transplant services and move through the evaluation process.

Living Donor Liver and Kidney Transplantation

Organ availability remains an important component of transplant access, with deceased donation relying on the decisions of donors and their families.

"Obviously, it starts with donors and donor families," Cohen said. "It's a difficult decision when somebody has passed away, and a donor family agreeing to donate is critical to maintaining access to available organs for our patients."

Ochsner also offers living donor liver and kidney transplantation, which can provide another pathway for eligible patients whose loved ones or other potential donors are willing and medically suitable to donate.

"That's the most ideal situation, and it lets people get transplanted faster with healthy, good organs and recover quickly," he said.

Cohen also pointed to organ preservation machines and robotic techniques as areas of continued innovation in transplantation.

"We always try to put the patient first, and if they're a suitable transplant candidate, we really try to get them a transplant and look forward to them having a successful life afterward," he said.

References

1. Ochsner Health. Ochsner Transplant Institute performs 10,000th transplant surgery. Published August 12, 2026. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://news.ochsner.org/news-releases/ochsner-transplant-institute-performs-10-000th-transplant-surgery/

2. Health Resources and Services Administration. Organ donation statistics. Accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics