Liver transplantation is one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine — allowing a diseased organ to be replaced with a healthy liver and offering new hope for patients with end-stage liver disease.
Background and Preparations
Before the 1960s, advanced liver disease such as cirrhosis or acute liver failure almost always led to death, as no replacement therapy existed. Researchers conducted extensive animal studies to develop transplant techniques and identify effective immunosuppressive strategies.
Another major challenge of the era was establishing the definition of brain death and the ethical framework for organ retrieval.
The First Liver Transplant
In 1963, American surgeon Thomas E. Starzl performed the first human liver transplant.
Although the patient did not survive long-term, the procedure was technically successful — the transplantation of a human liver and the reconstruction of blood vessels and bile ducts.
This landmark event proved that human-to-human liver transplantation was feasible.
In 1967, Starzl and his team achieved a more successful outcome when a transplant recipient survived over a year with good liver function.
Impact and Development
These early breakthroughs laid the foundation for the advancement of transplant medicine.
Over subsequent decades, improvements were made in:
Surgical techniques
Organ preservation
Immunosuppressive medications
Today, liver transplantation has become a life-saving therapy for patients with chronic liver failure or advanced liver cancer, with dramatically improved one-year and long-term survival rates.
Educational Significance for Medical Training
The story of the first liver transplant stands as a powerful reminder of innovation, courage, and humanity in medicine.
It teaches medical students and healthcare professionals that every major breakthrough begins with difficult trials — transforming the “impossible” into the “possible.”
Displaying this topic in a medical museum helps visitors appreciate the historical progress of surgery while deepening their understanding of organ donation and patient care.