Children's Memorial surpasses 1,000 solid organ transplants
Since its transplantation program began in 1964, Children's Memorial Hospital is one of only eleven children's hospitals nationwide to have performed more than 1,000 solid organ transplants.
Notable first transplants at Children's Memorial:
Building on the past
The growth of the pediatric transplantation program was possible because of each successful transplant.
“It's very gratifying to see the enthusiasm of everyone involved at Children's Memorial to do everything possible to improve our results and build on the success of the past and to make sure that every child who could benefit from a transplant gets one,” said Riccardo Superina, MD, pediatric and transplantation surgeon.
Going into the future
Craig Langman, MD, division head of kidney diseases, commented on the hospital's achievement saying, "Performing more than 1,000 organ transplants reflects the deep commitment that Children's Memorial Hospital has in the past, present and future at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago for improving the lives of children with severe organ failure.”
Children Memorial continues to receive substantial funding from the National Institutes of Health for research into improved protocols and clinical trials for patients. For example, the center is now studying the prevention of scarring in kidney transplant patients because scarring is the leading cause of re-transplantation.