For the second consecutive evaluation period, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) rated the liver transplant program at the University Hospital Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation as the regional leader in one-year survival rates, the health care facility announced on Aug. 3.

With an estimated one-year survival rate of 98.75%, the Center, which is led by Rutgers New Jersey medical school physicians, was rated as one of the top centers from all hospitals in the New York Tri-State area of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Nationally, University Hospital is ranked No. 4 – a mere 1.25 percentage points behind national co-leaders University Hospitals of Cleveland and Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and New York University Langone Medical Center in Manhattan are the closest-ranking New York Tri-State area hospitals.

The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation at University Hospital and Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is the first in New Jersey and one of 61 such centers nationally. Since it opened in 1989, the center has performed more than 1,500 liver transplant surgeries, including over 80 transplants in the last two years alone.

The SRTR – operated by the Chronic Disease Research Group, a division of the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute – is a federally supported program. Evaluations of liver transplant programs are released twice a year, in January and July.

“Our exceptional transplant outcome data showcase the skill and dedication of the University Hospital transplant surgeons and physicians, but even more importantly are evidence of the seamless integration of an outstanding multidisciplinary team,” said Dr. James Guarrera, program director of liver transplantation at University Hospital.

“This ranking reinforces what many patients already know – the Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation is doing amazing work to save lives of people in our community throughout the region,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, president and CEO of University Hospital. “We are thankful for the leadership of Drs. Pyrsopoulos and Guarrera, our dedicated hospital care team members, and the active support of our partners at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.”