On Feb. 14, 1984, Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the world’s first heart-liver transplant at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Forty-two years ago today, Dr. Thomas Starzl performed the world’s first heart-liver transplant at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Starzl arrived at UPMC from Colorado in 1981, having already performed the world’s first successful liver transplant surgery, and invented or advanced other experimental organ transplant operations. On Feb.