National Liver Transplant Programme

The National Liver Transplant Programme has been running at St. Vincent’s University Hospital since 1993 and has performed over 1000 liver transplants to date.

The national centre, which serves patients from all over Ireland, is led by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals with expertise in liver disease and liver surgery including transplantation.

The comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to liver disease has resulted in an increased rate of referral of patients for consideration for liver transplantation – with success rates in line with the best results achieved in UK and European centres.

The National Pancreas Transplant Programme is also based at St. Vincent’s University Hospital.

Background

The National Liver Transplant Programme was launched in January 1993, with the official opening taking place in October 1993 by Brendan Howlin, the then Minister for Health. The development of the programme in Ireland was phased over several years and included an initial two-year liaison with King’s College Hospital in London, who already had a fully developed programme in liver transplantation. During this period, all members of the future Irish transplant team – medical, nursing and paramedical – spent time training in liver transplantation at King’s College Hospital. The links with Kings College Hospital have been maintained over the years to provide a second opinion for complex cases.

Consultants

• Mr. Emir Hoti
• Mr. Justin Geoghegan
• Mr. Donal Maguire
• Mr. Anthony T. Stafford
• Mr. Tom Gallagher
• Prof. Aiden McCormick
• Dr. Diarmaid Houlihan
• Prof. Ross MacNicholas
• Dr. John Boylan
• Dr. Niamh Conlon
• Dr. Finola Naughton

The Team

• Consultant transplant surgeon and surgical director of the National Liver Transplant Programme
  • Mr. Emir Hoti
• Consultant transplant surgeons
  • Mr. Justin Geoghegan
  • Mr. Donal Maguire
  • Mr. Anthony Stafford
  • Mr. Tom Gallagher
• Consultant hepatologists
  • Prof. Aiden McCormick
  • Dr. Diarmaid Houlihan
  • Prof. Ross Mac Nicholas
• Consultant anaesthetist
  • Dr. Neil McDonald
  • Dr. John Boylan
  • Dr. Niamh Conlon
  • Dr. Finola Naughton
• Transplant coordinator
  • Jennifer Fleming
  • Jane Howe
  • Yvonne McGarry
  • Shauna Davitt
• Liver transplant clinic nurse
  • Ann Devenish
• CNM3
  • Mini Moby
• CNM2
  • Julie Tony
• CNM1
  • Ann Brennan
• Physiotherapist
  • Joanne Barry
• Dieticians
  • Orla O’Connor
  • Niamh O’Sullivan
• Pharmacists
  • Caroline Gallagher
  • Jennifer Dwyer
• Liver Transplant Programme secretaries
  • Noreen Kelly
  • Louise Byrne

Clinics

• Liver Transplant Clinic

Other useful contact details

• Liver unit secretaries
  • email: liver.secretary@svuh.ie
  • tel:(01) 221 4248 / 4855
  • fax: (01) 221 3407
• St. Brigid’s Ward
  • tel:(01) 221 4786 / 4787
• Hepatitis C specialist nurse
  • tel:(01) 221 4181 / 4323
• Endoscopy
  • tel:(01) 221 4416/4559
• Liver transplant coordinators
  • email: liver.transplant@st-vincents.ie
  • tel:(01) 209 4707
  • fax: (01) 283 7724

Referral information

• Urgent referrals:
  • fax: (01) 221 3407
• Radiology and histology multidisciplinary team referrals:            
  • Katy Harman,
    Liver MDT coordinator
    St. Rita’s Building
    St. Vincent’s University Hospital
    Elm Park
    Dublin 4
  • tel: (01) 221 3413