Attitudes towards liver transplantation in Victoria, Australia.

Abstract

Liver transplantation commenced on a regular basis in Australia in 1985. This followed the first successful orthotopic transplant in Brisbane in 1985 and the setting up of a National Centre for Liver Transplantation in Sydney in 1985 with clinical transplantation beginning there in 1986. A centre was subsequently developed in Melbourne in 1988. As this procedure was perceived to be expensive, and because of discussion on rationing of medical services, the authors were prompted to test the Victorian community awareness and attitude to government funding of transplantation. One year after the establishment of the Victorian Liver Transplantation Programme, a random survey of the Victorian popul..