McQuillan, E: A Profile in Effective Collaboration:

Liver transplant surgery, once a revolutionaryprocedure, has become standard medical practice sinceDr. Thomas Starzl pioneered the procedure in Denver50 years ago. Much has changed in the world oftransplant since those early days. Advances intechnology, immunosuppression medications, andsurgical techniques have moved liver transplantationinto the mainstream of modern medicine. After ahospital stay of 7-12 days and a period ofpostoperative recovery at home, patients go back towork, raise their children, live their lives. This book seeks to describe the workings of onesuccessful liver transplant program and thecollaborative team that makes it all happen. Teammembers have been interviewed and, coupled with theauthor's observations over her 14 year tenure withthe team, an overview of all facets of the livertransplant process, from evaluation through torecovery, is provided in terms that can be readilyunderstood by the general public. Finally, for thoseinterested in sociological theory, various pertinenttheories are presented in the context of livertransplantation and the Liver Transplant Team at theUniversity of Colorado Hospital.