A life-saving procedure will soon be available in the Rio Grande Valley after DHR Health announced they will be offering liver transplants to patients later this year.

Nearly 1,400 people across the Valley are on the waiting list for a liver transplant, according to DHR Health.

People in need of liver transplants currently have to travel outside the Valley to get the procedure.

DHR Health Transplant Hepatologist Dr. Fernando Membreño says the hospital has worked to bring liver transplants to the area for the last three years. They plan to make it happen later this year.

“[We’ll] get that team assembled here with enough experience to say, ‘now we're ready to try liver transplantation,’” Membreño said.

DHR Health is waiting on final approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing — the organization that regulates and manages the U.S. organ transplant system.

Once the approval is received, DHR Health says they plan to complete at least 30 to 60 transplants per year.

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