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Pediatric Liver Transplant Program

The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Liver Transplant Program was established in 1990.

Since 1999, the pediatric liver transplant program has been led by Rene Romero, M.D. Dr. Romero, an award winning physician, educator and clinical researcher, is the Medical Director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Program and Chief of Hepatology. He has extensive experience in acute liver failure, portal hypertension, viral hepatitis, hepatopulmonary syndrome and post transplant medical issues.

In fall 2009, Stuart Knechtle, M.D. joined the Children’s Liver Transplant team as Surgical Director. Dr. Knechtle is a leader in the field of liver and kidney transplantation. He has designed and led a variety of clinical trials in organ transplantation, and had an NIH funded research lab for 17 years. Prior to coming to Children’s, Dr. Knechtle led a team at the University of Wisconsin Madison that performed the state’s first liver transplant from a living donor and the state’s first combined liver/pancreas transplant. His team at the University of Wisconsin also had extensive experience in split liver transplantation for children. Dr. Knechtle’s research focuses on transplant immunology.

In addition to these two esteemed physicians, the liver transplant team is comprised of a transplant nurse coordinator, nurses, transplant pharmacist, social worker, child life specialist, nutritionist, schoolteacher, psychologist, financial counselor and chaplain.

Groundbreaking Accomplishments:

• In 1997, Children's performed the first pediatric split liver transplant in Georgia.
• In September 1998, Children's performed the first split liver transplantation in Georgia for two unrelated recipients.
• In September 2000, Children's performed a living donor right lobe liver transplant from a mother to her teenage son. This procedure involved transplanting approximately 65 percent of her liver to her son—it was the first of its type performed in the United States. This technique further expands the donor pool needed to save children’s lives.
• The Children’s Liver Transplant team offers other medical and surgical treatments for liver disease—for example, the meso-rex shunt.
  • The first meso-rex shunt was performed in the United States in 1997 at Children’s for extra hepatic portal hypertension. This procedure re-establishes the integrity of portal blood flow to reduce portal vein pressure and subsequent life threatening gastrointestinal bleeds.