The 20 Best Liver Transplant Doctors in Texas, US

Sumeet Asrani, MD, MSc is the Chief of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation at the Baylor Simmons Transplant Institute in Dallas. He has served as the Medical Director of the Center for Advanced Liver Disease since 2016. He provides clinical care at Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) and Baylor Scott and White Medical Center – Waxahachie. Recently, Dr. Asrani has restructured the research enterprise of the Simmons Transplant Institute and has been instrumental in elevating the name of the Institute and Baylor Scott & White as a recognized presence in the national and international academic world. Dr. Asrani received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He did his internship and residency at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. He went on to complete fellowships in gastroenterology, hepatology and transplant hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota before joining the transplant hepatology team at Baylor University Medical Center in 2013. Dr. Asrani has published 140 peer review publications, 300 abstracts and given over 125 national and international presentations. In addition, he has mentored more than 30 trainees to help advance their medical careers. Dr. Asrani previously served as an associate editor for the American Journal of Transplantation (AJT) and as an associate editor for Liver Transplantation (LT). He is actively involved in national and international collaborations to improve care for patients with liver disease. Dr. Asrani specializes in the management of patients with end-stage liver disease, liver transplantation candidates and recipients. His other clinical interests include liver cancer, viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and alcohol associated liver disease. His research interests focus on early identification of patients with cirrhosis, improving quality of patients with liver disease especially in the rural setting, improving kidney function in patients with liver disease and organ allocation. In his free time, Dr, Asrani enjoys various fitness endeavors, playing the drums, and traveling with his wife and four children. Dr. Asrani was recognized by D Magazine as a Best Doctor for 2023, 2024 and 2025. Dr. Asrani is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Ascites, Hepatitis, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Lisa Vanwagner is an Internal Medicine specialist and a Gastroenterologist in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Vanwagner is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Liver Failure, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dr. Testa is a Clinical Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas. He is Chief of Abdominal Transplant at Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health and Chairman of the Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute. He specializes in living donor liver transplantation and is the principal investigator of the Uterine Transplant Clinical Trial that resulted in the first U.S. birth of a baby following uterine transplant. Dr. Testa was honored in 2018 as one of TIME Magazine's Top 100 for leading the medical team that performed the first successful uterus transplants in the nation. Dr. Testa is a graduate of t he University of Padova Medical School in Italy. After graduating cum laude, he completed a residency in general surgery at the same university. He went on to complete a general surgery residency at the University of Chicago and then a fellowship in abdominal organ transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Later at the University of Essen in Germany, he was instrumental in starting the first adult living donor liver transplant program in Europe. Dr. Testa returned to the U.S. in 2001, where he served as Director of Liver Transplant at the University of Illinois. In 2005, he moved to the University of Chicago where he rose to the rank of Professor of Surgery and served as Director of Liver Transplant and Hepatobilliary Surgery. Read more about Dr. Testa's publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library. Dr. Testa returned to Baylor University Medical Center in 2011 to lead the Living Donor Liver Program. He became Chief of Abdominal Transplant for the Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute in 2017. Dr. Testa is author or co-author of more than 160 publications and several book chapters. He is a recognized authority in Uterus Transplantation and Living Donor Liver Transplantation. His other interests include complex liver surgery of benign and malignant diseases. Read more about Dr. Testa Dr. Testa has been named one of Texas Monthly's Texas Super Doctors for over 10 years earning him a place on Texas Monthly's Hall of Fame list. Dr. Testa is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Hepatitis, Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Liver Transplant, and Hysterectomy.

Ashish Saharia is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Sugar Land, Texas. Dr. Saharia is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Failure, Hepatitis, Liver Transplant, and Hepatectomy. Dr. Saharia is currently accepting new patients in some locations.

Goran Klintmalm is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Klintmalm is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis C, Hepatitis, Liver Cancer, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Parsia Vagefi is a General Surgeon and a Transplant Surgeon in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Vagefi is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Hepatitis, Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

George Cholankeril is a Gastroenterologist in Houston, Texas. Dr. Cholankeril is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Hepatitis C, Liver Transplant, and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery.

Rafik Ghobrial is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ghobrial is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Failure, Fibrolamellar Carcinoma, Liver Transplant, and Hepatectomy. Dr. Ghobrial is currently accepting new patients.

A native Houstonian, Dr. Ronald Cotton graduated valedictorian from the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions in 1998. Upon graduation, he entered the Houston Premedical Academy, an 8-year BS/MD program housed at the University of Houston and Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Cotton completed a bachelor's of science in biology summa cum laude in 2002 and medical doctorate in 2006. After finishing medical school, he entered his general surgery residency at Baylor. During his residency, Dr. Cotton completed a two-year research fellowship at the Liver, Kidney and Pancreas Center and the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor. There, his research interest centered on developing a high-quality tissue repository, and using these samples to detect genomic differences between Hepatitis B-, Hepatitis C-, and non-viral associated hepatocellular carcinoma. His research has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publication as well as local, national and international presentations. Dr. Cotton has received numerous clinical accolades during his residency, including being named a 2012 Raleigh Ross Scholar by the Texas Surgical Society. Dr. Cotton is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatoblastoma, Liver Failure, Hepatic Cystic Hamartoma, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

"Dr. Rahimi is board certified in transplant hepatatology, gastroenterology and internal medicine. His clinical interests include chronic liver disease, liver cancer, liver failure, metabolic and autoimmune diseases of the liver, viral hepatitis, complications of cirrhosis and liver transplantation. Dr. Rahimi has authored several research articles on improving the outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease. Dr. Rahimi holds a Master of Science in Applied Physiology from Finch University of Health Sciences in North Chicago and medical degree from Chicago Medical School. While completing his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, he concurrently obtained a Master of Science in Clinical Research in the Department of Public Health. Upon relocating to Dallas, Dr. Rahimi completed two fellowships, the first in Gastroenterology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center followed by a fellowship in Transplant Hepatology at Baylor University Medical Center, part of Baylor Scott & White Health, in Dallas. Read more about Dr. Rahimi’s publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library . Read Dr. Rahimi's article, ""5 things you need to know about fatty liver disease (and how to reverse it)"" . Dr. Rahimi is involved in a study around the use of statins in patients with advanced liver failure and cirrhosis. Read more here . Dr. Rahimi was recognized by D Magazine as a Best Doctor for 2024 and 2025. Read Dr. Rahimi's article, ""Can fatty liver be reversed? 5 common questions, answered.""". Dr. Rahimi is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Esophageal Varices, Ascites, Liver Transplant, and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery.

Constance Mobley is a General Surgeon in Houston, Texas. Dr. Mobley is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Hepatitis, Enlarged Liver, Liver Transplant, and Hernia Surgery.

Alejandro Mejia is a Transplant Surgeon in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Mejia is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Familial Pancreatic Cancer, Hepatitis, Pancreatic Cancer, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, and Hepatectomy.

Stephen Cheng is a Transplant Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Cheng is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Cholangiocarcinoma (Bile Duct Cancer), Liver Failure, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant. Dr. Cheng is currently accepting new patients.

Richard Ruiz, MD, FACS is a Clinical Associate Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas. He is the Surgical Director of Transplantation and Chief of Surgery at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center - Fort Worth. He is a multi-organ transplant surgeon, performing liver, kidney and pancreas transplants. Dr. Ruiz received his medical degree from the UCLA School of Medicine and completed his surgical residency at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, one of the premier academic teaching hospitals in the nation. He went on to complete an Abdominal Transplant Fellowship at the Dumont-UCLA Transplant Center Before joining the transplant team at the Annette C. And Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute in Dallas in 2006. His clinical interests include renal failure before and after liver transplant, and supporting living donor kidney transplantation in the Hispanic community. Dr. Ruiz currently serves on the UNOS/OPTN Minority Affairs Committee and the ASTS Membership & Workforce Committee. In his free time, Dr. Ruiz enjoys time with his family and friends. He is fluent in Spanish and is an avid cyclist. Read more about Dr. Ruiz's publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library . Dr. Ruiz is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Liver Failure, Hernia, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dr. Greg McKenna is a Clinical Associate Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas. He is a multi-organ transplant surgeon, performing liver, kidney and pancreas transplants, as well as living donor liver transplantation, and most recently uterus transplantation. He graduated from Yale University with a B.Sc. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. After earning his M.D. from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, he completed a residency in General Surgery at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Dr. McKenna completed a two-year fellowship in multi-organ abdominal transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Dr. McKenna joined the transplant team at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas in 2004. He has performed more than 1500 solid organ transplants, including the first successful uterus transplant in the US. Dr. McKenna is an Associate Professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center and board certified with both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and with the American College of Surgery. Dr. McKenna’s clinical focus is on maximizing the outcomes for transplantation of marginal liver transplants to improve supply and demand constraints. His research focus is on exploring the clinical advantages and potential strategies of immunosuppression, particularly sirolimus in liver transplantation. He has presented his research findings throughout the United States and most recently in Japan, Germany, Australia, Korea, Czech Republic, India, Austria and Hong Kong. An active member of the Dallas philanthropic scene, particularly the United Way, Greg and his wife Mary Beth have lived in Dallas since 2004. He loves travel and spending time with his wife and two daughters. Read more about Dr. McKenna's publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library . Dr. Mckenna is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Hepatitis, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Hussien Elsiesy, MD is a board-certified transplant hepatologist and gastroenterologist at Medical City Liver and Digestive Disease Specialists. With over two decades of clinical experience, he has trained and practiced at institutions including Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, He also worked at King Fadh specialist hospital in Dammam where he directed liver transplant programs and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh where he head the clinical research, He worked at Baylor All Saints and Baylor Plano medical center. His postgraduate training includes fellowships in gastroenterology and transplant hepatology.Throughout his career, Dr. Elsiesy has been deeply involved in advancing liver disease care through research and education. He has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, focusing on liver transplantation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and viral hepatitis. His work has contributed to shaping best practices in hepatology and improving outcomes for patients with complex liver conditions. Dr. Elsiesy is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Gilbert Syndrome, Rotor Syndrome, Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 1, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

Joseph Galati is a Hepatologist in Houston, Texas. Dr. Galati is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Liver Failure, Hepatitis C, Liver Transplant, and Endoscopy.

"Dr. Gupta is a Clinical Associate Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas. He is an accomplished hepato-pancreato-biliary and abdominal transplant surgeon with a primary interest in complex gastrointestinal issues in the pancreas, liver and bile ducts. In his dual role as a transplant and hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon, he offers patients a variety of unique treatment and surgical options at the Liver and Pancreas Disease Center at Baylor University Medical Center - Dallas. Dr. Gupta is Director of the Abdominal Transplant Surgery Fellowship program at Baylor University Medical Center and is Assistant Professor of Surgery at Texas A&M School of Medicine and TCU/UNTHSC School of Medicine in Fort Worth. After finishing his general surgery training in New York, Dr. Gupta completed two surgical fellowships in abdominal transplant surgery at Baylor University Medical Center and in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Dr. Gupta joined the transplant team at the Annette C. and Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute in Dallas in 2018. His clinical interests focus on living donor liver transplantation, liver and pancreas cancer, biliary disease, islet cell transplantation and colorectal liver metastasis. Dr. Gupta is active in national associations including leadership roles with the Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. In his free time, Dr. Gupta enjoys traveling, fine dining and spending time with his wife and dogs. Read more about Dr. Gupta's publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library . Read Dr. Gupta's article, ""Liver cancer: Should you get screened?"" Read Dr. Gupta's article, ""So you have pancreatic cancer. Now what?""". Dr. Gupta is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 1, Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 2, Liver Transplant, and Kidney Transplant.

Dr. Wall is a Clinical Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Dallas. She is board-certified in General Surgery by the American Board of Medicine with fellowship training in abdominal transplant surgery. She has clinical interests in liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation, as well as living liver and kidney donation. Her medical training began at Saint Louis University School of Medicine where she also received a PhD in Health Care Ethics. She completed her general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and her abdominal transplant surgery fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Wall’s extensive research focuses on clinical ethical issues in surgical practice in general and transplantation, in particular, including how listing decisions are made and how organs are allocated. Dr. Wall has published a book entitled Ethics for International Medicine. Read more about Dr. Wall's publications on PubMed.gov and the Baylor Health Sciences Library . Dr. Wall is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. Her top areas of expertise are Liver Failure, Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection, Hepatitis, Kidney Transplant, and Liver Transplant.

Prasun K. Jalal, M.D is Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Abdominal Transplantation of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery and in the Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Jalal is board certified in gastroenterology, internal medicine and transplant hepatology. Dr. Jalal earned his medical degree from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. His extensive training includes training in gastroenterology and hepatology at St. James Hospital in Leeds, England. He completed a fellowship in gastroenterology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center-Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York and in transplant hepatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Dr. Jalal's clinical interests include viral hepatitis, liver transplant, liver cancer and autoimmune hepatitis. Dr. Jalal is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in Liver Transplant. His top areas of expertise are Hepatitis, Esophageal Varices, Hepatitis A, Liver Transplant, and Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery.