Liver Transplantation Arrives at New York Presbyterian Hospital The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation (CLDT) is one of the first liver centers dedicated to treating all aspects of liver disease to be built from the ground up and conceived as a multidisciplinary program from its inception.  The program offers comprehensive medical, surgical and radiologic therapy for disorders of the hepatobiliary system in both adults and children. New York Presbyterian Hospital was fully approved as a liver transplant center in July 1997, after extensive review and consideration by the New York State Department of Health.  Full-service pediatric liver transplantation was approved and began in January 1998.  As of September, the full complement of living and cadaveric donor pediatric and adult transplantation services are active. The adult transplant team is now equipped to provide comprehensive evaluation of transplant candidates and supportive medical care for liver patients at either the New York-Cornell or the Columbia-Presbyterian campus. The pediatric component of the CLDT is based at Babies & Childrenıs Hospital, the oldest and largest university-affiliated pediatric hospital serving the children of New York. The Center carries forward a tradition of surgical innovation.  The techniques of living related liver transplantation were developed by Drs. Christoph Broelsch and Jean C. Emond a decade ago, and remain the centerpiece of pediatric liver transplantation to this day. An extension of this technique under intense clinical study at the Center is auxiliary liver transplant, in which a new liver is placed next to the old, offers hope for performing living donor transplants in adults. Over the next three to five years, the CDLT plans to provide basic training in liver diseases for students and residents, as well as exposure to a range of complex procedures and protocols for doctors from all over the world.  Longer term, between five and ten years, the Center looks to achieve international leadership in certain innovative techniques and surgical tools, and in conducting clinical outcomes research and basic science research related to liver biology. The Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation is committed to caring for all patients, regardless of financial status, and participates with many insurance plans.  Regional and national insurers recognize the program for both its excellence and cost effectiveness.  While the Hospitalıs contracting professionals continually add new insurance carriers, the programıs financial counselor works one-on-one with families to negotiate coverage with their insurers, or to develop case rates for those who must go out of network for CLDT services.