Liver transplantation or Starzl's legacy. A look backward, a look forward.

Since the first successful liver transplantation (LT) in 1963 by Starzl, enormous progresses have been made in this field of medicine. The author looks back at the recommendations put forward at the 1983 NIH Consensus conference on liver transplantation in order to show the enormous progresses that have been made in his field during the last four decades. Today almost none of the original indications and contraindications remain in place. Despite the extension of indications, results of LT continuously improved. The attention of the transplant physicians should from now onwards be focused on the achievement of an immunosuppressive free (or tolerant) status in order to further consolidate the excellent obtained long-term results.