FIRST SYMPTOM. WELL, TWO FAMILIES WILL SPEND THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FEELING EVEN MORE THANKFUL AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SPLIT LIVER SURGERY AT UAB HOSPITAL AND CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA. WVTM 13 MYA CALEB JOINS US LIVE FROM CHILDREN’S AND MYA. THIS IS A MILESTONE FOR BOTH CHILDREN’S AND UAB. GOOD MORNING KAYLA. THAT’S RIGHT. THIS IS THE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE TWO HOSPITALS HAVE PERFORMED A PROCEDURE LIKE THIS IN OVER A DECADE, AND ITS SUCCESS WILL MAKE THIS SURGERY AN OPTION GOING FORWARD. FOR THIS PROCEDURE, SURGEONS TOOK A LIVER AND SPLIT IT IN HALF. ONE HALF WENT TO A PEDIATRIC PATIENT AT CHILDREN’S AND THE OTHER TWO AN ADULT AT UAB. THIS LIVER TRANSPLANT WAS A DIRE NEED FOR THAT PEDIATRIC PATIENT. BECAUSE OF THIS PROCEDURE, CHILDREN’S, WHICH IS THE ONLY PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL IN THE STATE, HAS MORE TO OFFER ITS PATIENTS. THERE MAY BE AN ADULT LIVER OUT THERE THAT IS PERFECT, BUT IT DOESN’T FIT OUR PEDIATRIC RECIPIENTS. SO THAT’S WHEN YOU START ENCOUNTERING, WELL, WE’RE GOING TO PASS ON THIS LIVER BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FIT OUR PATIENT. BUT A COMPETITIVE TRANSPLANT CENTER THAT HAS THE EXPERTISE LIKE NOW WE ARE ABLE TO SAY NO, WE CANNOT LET THAT LIVER GO. WE HAVE THE EXPERTISE. LET’S JUST THEN REDUCE IT IN SIZE SO WE CAN BENEFIT OUR PATIENT. THE SUCCESS OF THIS SURGERY WILL HELP CHILDREN’S NOW CLEAR THE WAIT LIST FOR CHILDREN. THAT HAD TO WAIT EVEN LONGER FOR A LIVER THAT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THEM. LI
Split-liver transplant marks milestone for Children’s and UAB hospitals
Updated: 7:27 AM CST Dec 24, 2025
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Two families are celebrating a successful split-liver transplantation at UAB Hospital and Children’s of Alabama, marking a medical milestone for the two hospitals.This is the first time the hospitals have partnered for this kind of procedure in over a decade, and its success will make this surgery an option going forward. For this procedure, surgeons took a liver and split it in half, with one half going to a pediatric patient at Children’s and the other to an adult at UAB. This liver transplant was a dire need for the pediatric patient, and because of this procedure, Children’s, which is the only pediatric hospital in the state, has more to offer its patients.”There may be, an adult liver out there that is perfect, but it doesn’t fit, pediatric recipients. So that’s when you start encountering, well, we’re going to pass on this liver because it doesn’t fit our patient, but, competitive transplant center that has the expertise. Like, now we are able to say, no, we cannot let that liver go. We have the expertise. Let’s just then reduce it in size so we can benefit our patient,” said Dr. Marcos Pozo of Children’s of Alabama.The success of this surgery will now help Children’s clear its waitlist for children that may have had to wait even longer for a liver that is the right size for them.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
Two families are celebrating a successful split-liver transplantation at UAB Hospital and Children’s of Alabama, marking a medical milestone for the two hospitals.
This is the first time the hospitals have partnered for this kind of procedure in over a decade, and its success will make this surgery an option going forward.
For this procedure, surgeons took a liver and split it in half, with one half going to a pediatric patient at Children’s and the other to an adult at UAB.
This liver transplant was a dire need for the pediatric patient, and because of this procedure, Children’s, which is the only pediatric hospital in the state, has more to offer its patients.
“There may be, an adult liver out there that is perfect, but it doesn’t fit, pediatric recipients. So that’s when you start encountering, well, we’re going to pass on this liver because it doesn’t fit our patient, but, competitive transplant center that has the expertise. Like, now we are able to say, no, we cannot let that liver go. We have the expertise. Let’s just then reduce it in size so we can benefit our patient,” said Dr. Marcos Pozo of Children’s of Alabama.
The success of this surgery will now help Children’s clear its waitlist for children that may have had to wait even longer for a liver that is the right size for them.
