Patients who choose Penn for their transplant surgery have access to exceptional care that includes:
- A multidisciplinary team approach. Our multidisciplinary team includes experts in nephrology, cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry, transplant immunology, and urology.
- Individualized treatment plans. Treatment plans are designed to meet the unique needs of each individual with the goal of maximizing quality of life.
- Convenient access to care. The Penn Kidney Transplant Program performs transplant evaluations at five locations around the Delaware Valley:
- The highest level of hospitality. The Clyde F. Barker Penn Transplant House, a beautiful guest house, provides accommodations for patients and their families and caregivers.
- Innovative strategies. Penn transplant specialists are directly involved in continuously shaping U.S. transplant policy and continue to develop innovative strategies to improve outcomes for patients.
- Nationally recognized talent. Our surgeons are regularly acknowledged for their talent by both peers and consumers and have been recognized by Best Doctors in America, Philadelphia Magazine's Top Docs™ and America's Top Doctors.
- Valuable partnerships. Penn partners with Gift of Life, the regional organ procurement organization and the largest in the country, and is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). We are also certified as a Medicare center for pancreas transplantation.
Patients who may be helped by a kidney or pancreas transplant surgery first undergo an extensive evaluation consisting of the following:
- A comprehensive class outlining the types of transplants, the benefits of each, and the selection process
- A thorough consultation with a transplant nephrologist, social worker, and dietician
- Blood and tissue testing, EKG, and chest x-ray
- Access to a transplant support group
Based on the evaluation results, the transplant team decides whether or not to proceed with a transplant as the best therapeutic option.
Recovery after transplant surgery may depend on a number of variables. Typically patients are ready to go home three to seven days following kidney transplant surgery and seven to ten days following pancreas transplant surgery. Receiving a transplant requires a commitment to diligently follow the transplant team's plan of post-operative care.
Initially, patients will come twice a week to the Transplant Institute for follow-up care and gradually reduce the frequency of visits based on how the recovery progresses. Most transplant patients begin to see their local nephrologist anywhere from three to six months after their transplant in conjunction with one to two visits to the Penn Transplant Institute each year. Each patient is provided with individualized counseling on lifestyle changes, nutrition, and medications.
As world leaders in transplant research, Penn actively participates in a number of clinical research trials looking at new diagnostic techniques and treatments for transplant patients.
Our research has included the evaluation of:
- Islet cell transplant for type 1 diabetics
- Strategies to develop tolerance so that patients no longer need to take immunosuppressive drugs
- Novel ways to transplant patients with HIV
- Effective ways to manage and reduce medication