The Boston Center for Liver Transplantation (BCLT). Initial experience of a new surgical consortium.

Improved survival following liver transplantation has led to a rapid increase in the number of centers providing this expensive and demanding therapy. In January 1984, four Boston hospitals launched a cooperative program known as the Boston Center for Liver Transplantation (BCLT). From January 1984 through July 1985, 47 liver transplantations were performed in 41 patients ranging in age from 8 months to 60 years. Donor organs were retrieved from 22 states within a 2,500-mile radius. Thirty-five of the 47 procedures were performed by teams consisting of surgeons from at least two BCLT member hospitals. Twelve-month actuarial survival was 54.1% without significant institutional variability. The BCLT has developed into a unique transplant consortium capable of sharing manpower, equipment, and organs without sacrificing quality of care of disrupting preexisting medical services.