Growing need for liver transplants in Colorado

DENVER — Excessive drinking during the pandemic has increased the demand for liver transplants in Colorado and nationwide, health experts say.

The Transplant Center at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s typically performs roughly 20 liver transplants per year. This year, surgeons expect that number to double. 

Besides the increase in overall demand, doctors are also seeing the age demographic of those with liver disease changing.

“One other change I’ve seen is that years ago, we used to see mainly older people with alcoholic liver disease, and now we are seeing a lot of younger people in their 20s and 30s, especially since the pandemic,” said Dr. Thomas Heffron, Surgical Director of the Transplant Center at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Hospital.

The pandemic exacerbated drinking in a time of isolation for many, and caused some people to develop different habits. The transplant trends show how some of those habits are now leading to increased disease. 

“One of the things during the pandemic, people working from home, sometimes probably started their happy hour a little bit early. But a lot of those people don’t realize that they have liver disease until basically they get sick,” Heffron said. 

Heffron said about 200 liver transplants take place every year in Colorado, and there are still not enough organs for every person in need. 

“There is more demand than the ones available,” he said. 

Heffron said younger patients do tend to respond better to transplants than older patients. 

“Younger people with transplants do better than 65-year-old patients, just because their hearts are better,” he said.

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