Kidney

• Clinical Team
• Physician and Nurse Resources
  • To refer a patient or for clinical information, call 503.494.8500 or toll-free 1-800-452-1369, ext. 48500.
  • Clinical Transplant Conference
  • 2013 Didactic Schedule
  • To access the documents listed below (requires login and password), please contact Sondra Tootell for assistance at or by phone, 503.494.2881).
    • Physician Information Form
    • Patient Referral Form
    • Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Protocol Handbook (tips for using are on the Physician and Nurses Resources page)
    • Kidney and Pancreas Post-Transplant Guidelines
• Patient Resources — Note: You will need Adobe Reader™ to access the patient manual. If you don't already have this free software, click on the following link to download: http://get.adobe.com/reader/.
• Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program Brochure (English)
• Programa de Transplantes de Riñón/Páncreas (español)
• OHSU Kidney and Pancreas Post-Transplant Patient Handbook
• Un Manual para el Paciente de un Trasplante de Riñón (Spanish-language version of the OHSU Kidney Transplant Patient Handbook)

Introduction

OHSU's first kidney transplant, over 50 years ago, marked the beginning of one of the world's oldest transplant programs. That first transplant, in October 1959, involved identical twins. The recipient died in December 2010, more than 51 years later, and was one of the longest-surviving transplant recipients in the world.

According to the U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR, www.srtr.org) OHSU's one-year and three-year patient and kidney organ (graft) survival are excellent.

Transplants involving nonliving donors began in the 1960s and became increasingly successful as new immunosuppressive drugs became available. In 1977, OHSU was among the first transplant centers to receive Medicare certification.

Kidney Information Kit

A free kidney transplant information kit, including video and resource journal, is available from Astellas Pharma US. Go to www.transplantexperience.com or call (800) 753-1174 to order.

Team Experience

Our experience is our greatest strength. The physicians and surgeons that care for kidney transplant patients at OHSU have extensive experience in nephrology and urology, the specialties most involved with diseases of the kidney. They are highly adept at providing health care for all types of kidney disease.

Transplant nurse coordinators work closely with patients and other team members beginning with the evaluation phase of transplant care and continuing on after the transplant. Social workers, pharmacists, dietitians and patient service representatives complete the team, providing care through all phases of transplantation.

All OHSU's transplant dietitians are certified specialists in renal nutrition who provide individualized nutrition assessments and education before and after transplants. With these practitioners, the OHSU transplant team provides the most extensive transplant nutrition expertise in the area.

Innovation

For over 45 years, OHSU has been an active contributor to new transplant technologies in areas such as surgical techniques, organ retrieval and preservation, donor and recipient matching, recipient preparation, chronic immunosuppression regimens, and prevention and treatment of complications. Patients have benefited from early access to these technologies and from the culture of quality improvement created by innovation.

Outreach

Many patients who receive transplants at OHSU come from distant communities. Kidney transplant clinics have been established with local nephrologists in key locations in Oregon and Idaho, bringing outpatient care closer to patients' homes. In addition, these clinics provide opportunities for the OHSU team to interact with local clinicians to share new developments in transplantation and improve patient services. Classes also are held for dialysis clinicians and patients considering transplantation as an option.

Updated 05/23/2013 by Jean Shepherd, OHSU Transplant Administration. Please send questions, comments or inquiries to transplt@ohsu.edu.