Why Choose Us for Transplantation?
Organ transplantation began at the University of Chicago. In 1904, a University of Chicago doctor, Alexis Carrel, MD, performed the first animal organ transplant, which later earned him the Nobel Prize. We continue to strive to be a world leader in organ transplantation. Here are just a few of the transplant firsts that occurred here:
- The first successful living-donor liver transplant in the world
- The first successful heart-liver-kidney transplant in the world
- The first segmental liver ("reduced size") and split-liver transplants in the United States
Leaders in Solid Organ Transplants
The University of Chicago Hospitals has the broadest array of transplant programs in Illinois. Each of our transplant programs offers superior care:
- Heart Transplants: We have the largest heart transplant program in Illinois and have been performing adult heart transplants since 1984.
- Kidney Transplants: Since 1970, University of Chicago doctors have performed more than 2,500 kidney transplants.
- Liver Transplants: Since 1984, our doctors have performed more than 1,400 liver transplants--making our program one of the leaders in the nation.
- Lung Transplants: Our transplant physicians have performed hundreds of lung transplants as well as many heart-lung transplants, making them among the most experienced in the nation.
- Pancreas Transplants: We were the first hospital in Illinois to perform a pancreas transplant and continue to be one of the most active pancreas transplant centers in the country.
- Islet Transplants: We are one of a select number of hospitals conducting a clinical trial on this promising treatment for type 1 diabetes.
- Multiple Organ Transplants: We have the busiest multi-organ transplant program in Illinois.
Breakthrough Immunosuppressive Therapies
The University of Chicago has a long tradition of excellence in immunology, which has helped us achieve some of the highest graft acceptance rates in the country.
Our physicians and researchers are considered leaders in immunosuppression--or the prevention and treatment of organ rejection. They have helped develop and/or refine many important anti-rejection medications, including OKT3, which was a mainstay immunosuppression drug for more than a decade.
Thankfully, the science of immunosuppression has become so accurate that organ rejection is now a relatively uncommon occurrence in patients who take their medications as prescribed. With that challenge met, our physicians and researchers are focusing on the next challenge: preventing and treating other common problems that develop in transplant patients, such as high blood pressure, scarring that develops in transplanted organs, and viral infections.
Transplant Research
University of Chicago researchers continue to improve transplant care through the evaluation and development of groundbreaking technology:
- Our physicians have been pioneers in the development of a biomechanical liver support device that is currently in developmental trials. These trials will, hopefully, lead to the first approved device to help support a failing liver.
- We offer new techniques for matching donor kidneys with recipients, including the use of a highly sensitive fluorescence activated cell sorter. This machine uses advanced technology to help ensure a good match between donor and recipient.
- Our center is collaborating with several other centers in the Midwest to develop a kidney exchange program to identify patients who have living donors that they are not compatible with who might be able to successfully “swap” kidneys.
- At any one time, one or more new methods of immunosuppression are being studied in a clinical trial at The University of Chicago. Voluntary participation in such trials is available to many patients undergoing treatment here.
Home to Hundreds of Medical Experts
Once you or your loved one becomes a transplant patient here, you enter a world-class medical center that can take care of all your medical needs. Before and after your transplant, you have access to hundreds of knowledgeable experts. The University of Chicago Hospitals is home to some of the world’s most respected specialists in diabetes, kidney disease, cancer, heart disease, digestive disorders, and other health problems.
