In 1979, West China Hospital successfully performed the first liver transplant in Sichuan Province and the third in the country. To date, over 1,600 liver transplants of various types have been performed. Under the leadership of Professor Yan Lvnan, the liver transplant team at West China Hospital has conducted systematic innovative research on key liver transplant technologies and established technical standards. The five-year survival rate for patients is close to 80%, reaching an internationally leading level.

1.  Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Adults:

In 2001, our hospital performed the first living donor liver transplant between adults in Mainland China, and to date, nearly 400 cases have been completed. We proposed a surgical plan for adult donors without preserving the middle hepatic vein and the corresponding technical standards. For patients with complex vascular lesions, we proposed technical plans for variant inferior vena cava reconstruction, portal vein reconstruction, and microsurgery for small bile ducts. We performed the first dual-donor living donor liver transplant in the country. We also pioneered minimally invasive donor surgeries in living donor liver transplantation: we performed the first laparoscopic-assisted and fully laparoscopic adult living donor liver transplant surgeries in the country, as well as robotic-assisted living donor liver transplant surgeries, with a total of nearly 70 cases. These innovations ensured donor safety, reduced surgical incisions, and helped healthy donors overcome psychological barriers and return to normal life more quickly.

2.  Liver Transplantation for Infants and Young Children:

We have completed over 100 liver transplants in infants and young children, with the youngest patient being only four months old. We are one of the few pediatric liver transplant centers in the country with over 100 cases.

3.  Split Liver Transplantation:

Building on the techniques of living donor liver transplantation, we have completed over 70 split liver transplants, making multiple technical improvements. In terms of quantity and quality, we are at the forefront in the country. By splitting one donor liver into two, we have expanded the source of donor livers and saved more patients.

4.  Rapid Recovery After Liver Transplantation:

We were the first in the country to implement rapid recovery after liver transplantation. We proposed a rapid recovery system mainly based on early postoperative removal of tracheal intubation, multimodal analgesia, and pulmonary rehabilitation. The average hospital stay for liver transplant patients is around 14 days, which reduces complications and saves hospitalization costs. Our hospitalization costs have been the lowest in the country for many years.