The Role of Transplant Surgeons in HPB Training

Purpose of Review: This review establishes current training pathways for HPB surgeons with a focus on the benefits of abdominal transplant experience for HPB-minded trainees. Recent Findings: Abdominal transplant training is increasingly relevant to HPB surgery. Clinically, time spent on liver transplant services facilitates increases exposure to oncotransplant, a budding therapy increasingly utilized for various HPB malignancies. Technically, transplant regularly exposes trainees to retrohepatic anatomy, challenging porta dissections, and vascular anastomoses, skills beneficial for the advanced resections often performed today. Presently, trainees pursuing a career in HPB surgery have multiple means by which to gain transplant exposure, including select fellowships that offer joint HPB-transplant accreditation and institutions that participate in fellowship exchanges. Summary: Abdominal transplant surgery training confers unique clinical and technical expertise relevant to today’s HPB surgeon. Although currently HPB trainees may seek out abdominal transplant experience during fellowship, in the future this may be a standardized aspect of HPB fellowship.