CEDARS-SINAI
A global leader in a number on medical fields, Cedars-Sinai was named our Hospital or Medical Center of the Year this year with particular focus on its groundbreaking liver transplant work. Cedars-Sinai houses the expertise of some of the world’s leading liver transplant specialists. Each team consists of a wide array of specialists from various fields of medicine. In addition to diagnosing and treating complex medical conditions and performing the multifaceted procedures associated with organ transplants, the staff is also engaged in groundbreaking research that has advanced the field of medicine in many ways. Nicholas N. Nissen is the director of the Liver Transplant Program at Cedars-Sinai and one of the leading experts in the surgical treatment of Liver and Pancreatic Diseases in the United States. Dr. Nissen has developed one of the most prolific and successful surgical practices in the US and has personally performed over 3000 complex liver and pancreatic surgeries and over 500 liver transplants. Under his leadership, the Liver Transplant Program volume has almost tripled in size, and now demonstrates patient outcomes that are the best in California and among the best in the country.
Dr. Nissen’s contributions span both surgical oncology and liver transplant fields. In the transplant arena, his efforts are focused on expanding access to liver transplantation. Examples include pioneering the use of liver transplantation in HIV positive patients, in a multicenter trial lead at Cedars-Sinai by Dr. Nissen and maximizing the utilization of donor livers for transplantation that might be otherwise discarded. Through his leadership efforts and a team of seven surgeons, the liver transplant program has achieved survival rates of 95% despite facing patients who are among the sickest of the sick.
