AdventHealth Transplant Institute Orlando

Pioneering Living Donor & Robotic Cancer Surgery

Medical Director of Abdominal Transplantation, Surgical Director of Living Donor Surgery, and Complex General Surgical Oncologist specializing in living donor liver transplantation, robotic donor nephrectomy, advanced hepatobiliary resections, and transplant oncology.

Patient Referral & Consult Download CV

Ryan W. Day, MD

Medical Director, Abdominal Transplantation

Surgical Director of Living Donor Surgery

Section Chair of Transplantation

AdventHealth Orlando Assistant Professor, UCF

Academic & Surgical Leadership

Dr. Ryan W. Day serves as the Medical Director of Abdominal Transplantation and Surgical Director of Living Donor Surgery at AdventHealth Transplant Institute, as well as Section Chair of Transplantation at AdventHealth Orlando. Dual-fellowship trained at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Dr. Day operates at the intersection of transplant surgery and advanced oncologic disease.

His clinical and research initiatives focus on expanding surgical boundaries, including living donor liver transplantation, robotic donor nephrectomy, transplant oncology for unresectable colorectal liver metastases, and machine perfusion research including the United States National OCS Liver Perfusion Registry.

Abdominal Transplant Fellowship

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

General Surgery Residency & Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship

Mayo Clinic Hospital (Phoenix) & MD Anderson Cancer Center

Certifications & Fellowships

  • Certified Abdominal Transplant Surgeon, American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)
  • Board Certified, Complex General Surgical Oncology
  • Board Certified, General Surgery
  • FACS, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
  • FSSO, Fellow of the Society of Surgical Oncology

Academic & Committee Appointments

  • Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Central Florida
  • Co-Chair, Robotic CPT Codes with RVU Reimbursements Task Force (AHPBA)
  • Program Committee, Americas Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA)
  • Development Committee, Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)
  • Data and Safety Monitoring Board, AMPLIFY Study

Clinical Focus & Procedures

Specialized surgical procedures across organ transplantation, robotic surgery, and advanced surgical oncology.

Abdominal Transplantation

  • Living Donor Liver Transplantation (LDLT)
  • Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation
  • Living & Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation
  • Pancreas Transplantation
  • Normothermic Machine Perfusion (TransMedics OCS)
  • Pediatric & Complex Liver Disease Allocation

Transplant Oncology & HPB Surgery

  • Liver Transplantation for Colorectal Liver Metastases (CRLM)
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma & Cholangiocarcinoma Resection
  • Robotic & Open Major Hepatectomy
  • Robotic Pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple Procedure)
  • Bile Duct Resection & Reconstruction
  • Major Vascular Reconstructions

Minimally Invasive & Endocrine

  • Robotic Living Donor Nephrectomy
  • Robotic Adrenalectomy
  • Robotic Liver Resections
  • Cytoreductive Surgery & HIPEC
  • Complex Reoperative Abdominal Surgery
  • Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocols

Surgical Video Library

Operative case presentations and surgical demonstrations from the @RyanDayMD YouTube channel.

Left Donor Nephrectomy

Operative dissection techniques and vascular control in living donor nephrectomy.

Watch on YouTube

Retroperitoneal Adrenalectomy

Minimally invasive retroperitoneoscopic approach for adrenal resection.

Watch on YouTube

Air Leak Cholangiogram After Right Hepatectomy

Intraoperative technique testing for biliary integrity and preventing post-hepatectomy bile leaks.

Watch on YouTube
Visit RyanDayMD on YouTube

News, Features & Media

Coverage of clinical milestones, program launches, and surgical innovation.

Program Milestone

Living Donor Liver Transplant Program Expands Access

AdventHealth expands life-saving transplant pathways for pediatric and complex liver disease patients across Central Florida.

Read Press Release
Orlando Sentinel

First Living Donor Liver Transplant at AdventHealth

Coverage of the landmark operation where a law student donated a portion of her liver to a 4-year-old patient in Orlando.

Read Article
Transplant Oncology

Central Florida's First Liver Transplant for Colorectal Metastases

Pioneering liver transplantation for permanently unresectable colorectal liver metastases using modern transplant oncology protocols.

Read Clinical Article
Feature Story

Operation Giving Back

How Dr. Ryan Day returned to his hometown in Central Florida to perform cutting-edge surgical procedures and expand community access.

Read Story
WFTV Channel 9

Translating Video Game Dexterity to Surgical Precision

Local television news feature highlighting fine-motor technical training and modern robotic surgical execution.

Watch Feature
Alumni Spotlight

Ross University School of Medicine Alumni Profile

Spotlight detailing Dr. Day's trajectory from medical training to becoming a leader in HPB surgery and living donation.

View Profile
Social Media

Living Donation Awareness & Patient Stories

Educational highlight explaining the process, safety, and life-saving impact of living liver and kidney donation.

View Reel on Instagram

Selected Publications & Academic Research

Representative peer-reviewed manuscripts across surgical oncology, liver resection, and ERAS protocols.

2026

Advances in the management of colorectal liver metastases: 2026 SSAT - SSO Joint Expert Symposium at Digestive Disease Week

Maker AV, Li M, Newhook T, Dulundu E, Tanabe K, Day RW, Vauthey JN, Hallet J.

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 2026; 30 102541

2023

Communication Frameworks for Palliative Surgical Consultations: A Randomized Study of Advanced Cancer Patients

Blumenthaler AN, Robinson KA, Hodge C, Xiao L, Liley EJ, Griffin JF, White MG, Day RW, et al.

Annals of Surgery, 2023; 278(5):e1110-e1117

2020

Assessing the 5x-Multiplier Calculation to Reduce Discharge Opioid Prescription Volumes After Inpatient Surgery

Day RW, Newhook TE, Dewhurst WL, Arvide EM, Bruno ML, Vauthey JN, Tzeng CWD.

JAMA Surgery, 2020; doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2020.3527

2019

A Predictive Model for Nodal Metastases in Patients with Appendiceal Cancers

Day RW, Chang YH, Stucky CC, Gray RJ, Pockaj BA, Wasif N.

Annals of Surgery, 2019; doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000003501

2016

Advances in Hepatectomy Technique: Toward Zero Transfusions in the Modern Era of Liver Surgery

Day RW, Brudvik KW, Vauthey JN, Conrad C, Gottumukkala V, Chun YS, Katz MH, Fleming J, Lee JE, Aloia TA.

Surgery, 2016; 159(3):793-801

View Complete CV & Full Publication List (PDF)

Patient Consultations & Physician Referrals

Scheduling appointments and physician transfers at AdventHealth Transplant Institute Orlando.

Practice Location

AdventHealth Transplant Institute Orlando

Address:
2415 N. Orange Avenue, Suite 700
Orlando, FL 32804
Direct Office Phone:
(407) 303-2474
Direct Office Fax:
(407) 303-0677

Referring Physicians

To refer a patient for living donor liver/kidney evaluation, surgical oncologic consultation (HPB/transplant oncology), or robotic resection:

  • Urgent Transfers / Inpatient Consults: Call the office line directly at (407) 303-2474 or contact the AdventHealth Transfer Center.
  • Outpatient Referrals: Fax patient demographic details, recent clinical notes, cross-sectional imaging (CT/MRI reports), and relevant pathology directly to (407) 303-0677.
  • Living Donor Inquiries: Prospective living liver and kidney donors can initiate confidential screening via the AdventHealth Living Donor Program.
Visit AdventHealth Transplant Institute Portal