title: The Boston Center for Liver Transplantation (BCLT). Initial experience of a new surgical consortium.
abstract: Improved survival following liver transplantation has led to a rapid increase in the number of centers providing this expensive and demanding therapy. In January 1984, four Boston hospitals launched a cooperative program known as the Boston Center for Liver Transplantation (BCLT). From January 1984 through July 1985, 47 liver transplantations were performed in 41 patients ranging in age from 8 months to 60 years. Donor organs were retrieved from 22 states within a 2,500-mile radius. Thirty-five of the 47 procedures were performed by teams consisting of surgeons from at least two BCLT member hospitals. Twelve-month actuarial survival was 54.1% without significant institutional variability. The BCLT has developed into a unique transplant consortium capable of sharing manpower, equipment, and organs without sacrificing quality of care of disrupting preexisting medical services.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000187:drug effects; D006755:Hospital Shared Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents