Arthur “Arty” Stephens, 62, Lock Haven, Pa., is a man of few words who enjoys his family and spending time outdoors, especially under the hood of one of his vehicles at his auto shop. A few years ago, he started to have health issues that he attributed to byproducts of his age and lifestyle.
“I’m self-employed and enjoy working on cars, tinkering, and spend most of my days doing physical labor,” said Arty. “When I first started experiencing my health issues – fluid retention and lack of my normal stamina – I figured it might be related to Lyme disease which I had contracted from a tick bite and the years of hard, physical work catching up to me. But, as time passed, I wasn’t getting better, and it was taking a toll on my day-to-day.”
However, as time passed and he received treatment for Lyme, his issues didn’t resolve. Arty was referred to Vivek Kumar, MD, gastroenterologist, Digestive Disease Center at UPMC Williamsport for further testing and evaluation, and in January of 2022, Arty was diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) that progressed to cirrhosis of the liver.
Metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH), formerly known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a progressive form of fatty liver disease characterized by abnormal fat accumulation, inflammation, and liver damage not related to alcohol consumption. It is strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and obesity. Often asymptomatic in early stages, it can lead to fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and in advanced stages, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer. Diagnosis typically involves blood tests, imaging, and liver biopsy. Management focuses on lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, and controlling associated conditions, highlighting the importance of early detection and intervention to prevent severe liver complications.
Dr. Kumar worked with Arty to develop a care plan that would help him manage his condition and symptoms. Arty started a medication regimen to target his fluid retention and began the years-long cadence of regular appointments and follow-up testing. In August of 2023, Arty’s disease had progressed, and he was added to the liver transplant waiting list for a liver donor and introduced to Swaytha Ganesh, MD, hepatologist and medical director, UPMC Living Donor Liver Program, who travels regularly from Pittsburgh to see patients at the UPMC Transplant Evaluation Clinic at UPMC Williamsport.
“I was grateful for the diagnosis because at least now I knew what I was up against. It all still came as a shock to me; I’d been relatively healthy for so long – it was surprising to see how sick I got and how quickly. Once they put me on the list, it became a waiting game and we weren’t sure what was ahead,” said Arty.
Due to his condition, Arty was listed as a viable candidate for either living or deceased organ donation. Dr. Ganesh and representatives from UPMC Transplant Services met with him at the evaluation clinic at UPMC Williamsport to discuss his options and provide support to help him through the transplant journey. Arty continued to receive his care at UPMC Williamsport and other local UPMC facilities while waiting, and with support from his family and care team, managed his health as best he could in hopes that he’d soon get the call that a liver was available.
On the afternoon of Jan. 3, 2024, Arty’s daughter AJ took him to the emergency department at UPMC Williamsport. He was admitted for testing and observation for internal bleeding. While Arty and his daughter were at the hospital, the call came. At 10 p.m. that evening, AJ received a call from the coordinator at UPMC Liver Transplant Program letting them know Arty had a liver donor and his surgery would be scheduled for the next day. He arrived at UPMC Presbyterian around 4 a.m. on Jan. 4 for final evaluation and he was then transferred to UPMC Montefiore for surgery.
“That day was a whirlwind and I don’t remember much. I know it was a flurry of emotions for my family. It was the day we’d been waiting for, and while we knew I had a road to recovery ahead of me, there was hope,” said Arty.
Arty was prepped for surgery and around 12:40 p.m., Michele Molinari, MD, transplant surgeon, Starzl Transplantation Institute - UPMC Transplant Services, began the almost six-hour long surgery to remove Arty’s liver and transplant a full, healthy liver from a deceased donor. The surgery was a success and by lunchtime on Jan. 5, Arty was awake and off the ventilator. Over the following weeks, Arty passed milestone after milestone for initial recovery – getting out of bed, eating, drinking – but he also faced a few challenges as well including a brief battle with pneumonia.
“I knew I’d have challenges ahead in my recovery and I tried to make the most of each day. Every milestone moved me one step closer to home, and while the nurses, doctors, and all the staff involved in my care were fantastic, my primary focus was getting out of the hospital,” said Arty.
Arty was scheduled for discharge on Jan. 19, but a snowstorm postponed his exit, and the following day, he got to leave UPMC Montefiore. Due to the frequency of follow-up appointments, Arty continued his recovery with family in Waynesburg before he was cleared to head back home to Lock Haven.
Now, nearly six months post-surgery, Arty is back to tinkering, running his business, and enjoying all that the outdoors in rural Pennsylvania has to offer. While his doctors will keep a close eye on him for the foreseeable future, which means some lifestyle changes and many more follow-up appointments, most of which will be with his care team in Williamsport, Arty is happy to be where he is today, and he credits everyone who helped care for him for getting him here.
“I’m so lucky to have received the liver, and to that individual and their family, I am eternally grateful for the new lease on life I’ve been gifted. My journey has had many ups and downs, and it’s been a long road to get where I am today. I’m so grateful to my family and friends for their support and for the people who cared for me at UPMC, especially my transplant team. They are exceptional people, and their work gives people hope for a new future. I knew I was in good, capable hands,” said Arty.
UPMC Transplant Services is a leader in organ transplantation dedicated to advancing basic science and clinically applied research. As one of the leading transplant centers in the country having performed over 20,000 organ transplants including double- and single-lung, heart and heart-lung, kidney, pancreas, and liver, UPMC is home to some of the world’s foremost transplant experts helping individuals like Arty receive the gift of life through organ donation. For more information on UPMC Transplant Services, visit the UPMC Transplant Services website. For more information about the UPMC Liver Transplant Evaluation Clinic at UPMC Williamsport, please call 1-844-UPMC-LIVER or visit the Liver Transplant Program at UPMC website.
