The UC Davis Transplant Center ranks among the nation’s top liver transplant programs, according to newly released data this spring from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR).

The latest biannual report from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) highlighted UC Davis Health’s exceptional outcomes across several key measures. UC Davis liver transplant patients:

  • Outperformed both national expectations and the national average in terms of transplanted organ survival
  • Experienced significantly better survival waiting for a liver compared with national benchmarks
  • Received transplants much faster than the national average, resulting in substantially shorter wait times

“This report reflects our continued growth and our unwavering commitment to innovation, quality and patient centered care,” said Sophoclis Pantelis Alexopoulos, M.D., chief of Transplantation at UC Davis Health. “These outcomes demonstrate that UC Davis is among the top performing transplant programs not only in California, but across the West Coast.”

Patient survival results

In 2025, the UC Davis program performed 59 liver transplants, including 58 from deceased donors and one partial liver from a living donor. The program is on pace to perform approximately 70 transplants in 2026.

Most notably, the program achieved a patient survival rate and graft survival rate that exceeded expectations for the reporting period. By comparison, nationally, about 90% of liver transplant patients survive one year, and approximately 92% experience successful graft survival, defined as continued function of the transplanted liver.

Waiting list outcomes

During the most recent reporting period, patient deaths on the transplant waiting list at UC Davis Health were 65% lower than expected when compared with national benchmarks, reflecting strong care and timely access to transplantation.

According to the latest SRTR report, UC Davis Health recorded 8.1 observed waiting list deaths, compared with an expected 32.9 deaths based on national data. This corresponds to a pre transplant mortality ratio of 0.35, meaning patients waiting for a transplant at UC Davis experienced significantly better survival than expected.

Shorter wait times

Compared with national averages, UC Davis Health performs transplants at a markedly faster pace, leading to shorter wait times. The SRTR report shows UC Davis Health is performing nearly four transplants per patient per year. This compares with approximately 1.2 transplants per patient per year nationwide.

The shorter wait times can be attributed in part to use of liver perfusion technology. Approved by the FDA, perfusion circulates fluid and oxygen through a liver already removed from a donor but not yet transplanted. The process preserves function and potentially enhances recovery for patients. While the liver is on the pump, the team assesses its function to ensure it is ideal for transplantation. This has allowed for an increase in the use of available donor livers.