Transplant hepatology is the field of medicine that deals with liver transplants. A hepatologist is a physician who specializes in diseases and disorders of the liver. This specialist may coordinate treatment with a transplant surgeon for a patient who requires a liver transplant due to liver disease or liver failure. During transplant surgery, the diseased liver is removed and a new liver is placed in the same location. This surgery is done through a large incision in the upper abdomen, and is performed under general anesthetic in a hospital.

Doctor density varies by specialty and location. The United States has 280 practicing transplant hepatologists. Broken out by state, transplant hepatology doctor density in Alabama is 5, in Arizona is 21, in Arkansas is 1, in California is 47, in Colorado is 5, in Connecticut is 5, in District of Columbia is 5, in Florida is 26, in Georgia is 4, in Hawaii is 1, in Illinois is 15, in Indiana is 3, in Iowa is 14, in Kansas is 1, in Kentucky is 5, in Louisiana is 11, in Maine is 1, in Maryland is 5, in Massachusetts is 10, in Michigan is 7, in Minnesota is 7, in Mississippi is 3, in Missouri is 9, in Nebraska is 2, in Nevada is 1, in New Hampshire is 4, in New Jersey is 13, in New York is 31, in North Carolina is 9, in North Dakota is 2, in Ohio is 13, in Oklahoma is 3, in Oregon is 1, in Pennsylvania is 25, in South Carolina is 7, in South Dakota is 1, in Tennessee is 8, in Texas is 28, in Utah is 1, in Vermont is 2, in Virginia is 10, in Washington is 2, in West Virginia is 2, and in Wisconsin is 7.