Program Highlights
The Emory Kidney and Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Program provides state-of-the-art evaluation, medical and surgical treatment, and follow-up care for patients approaching or at end stage renal disease (ESRD). Although not considered a cure for patients with ESD, kidney transplantation offers a preferable option to dialysis for many patients.
- In 1966, Emory performed Georgia's first kidney transplant. To date, Emory has performed over 2,700 adult and pediatric kidney transplants.
- Emory's first kidney-pancreas transplant was performed in 1989. Today, the pancreas transplantation program includes simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplants, pancreas after kidney, and islet transplantation.
- Laparoscopic nephrectomy became available for living kidney donors at Emory in 1999 and is a minimally invasive procedure promoting minimal scaring and a more rapid recovery than traditional surgery. As of January 2007, Emory performed 591 living donor transplants with 273 of those being laparoscopic nephrectomies.
