Lutheran Hospital just completed its 250th kidney transplant

11/11/2015

Life-changing care is more than a tagline for Lutheran - organ transplants are proof

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015) - Lutheran Hospital began performing kidney transplants in June 2007, and last night, surgeons transplanted its 250th kidney.

"We feel privileged 250 kidney transplant patients and their families have trusted Lutheran over the past eight years, and we look forward to continuing care for years to come," said Brian Bauer, CEO, Lutheran Health Network. "Lutheran Hospital houses the only kidney and heart transplant programs in northern Indiana, and that is a huge responsibility we take seriously. The level of expertise needed to establish and sustain this caliber of care accentuates the quality here."

One in nine Americans has kidney disease - that amounts to more than 26 million people in the U.S., according to the National Kidney Foundation.

"When I came to Fort Wayne eight years ago, my goal was to create a world-class transplant program with excellent results," said A. Tarik Kizilisik, MD, a transplant surgeon and the surgical director of the kidney transplant program at Lutheran Hospital. "With unconditional support from Lutheran Hospital administration, area nephrologists and transplant team members, we have the first and only transplant program in the state of Indiana outside Indianapolis, and yesterday we were ecstatic to do kidney transplant number 250."

"I am proud to be part of this wonderful milestone," said John Ducker, MD, a transplant nephrologist and the medical director of the kidney transplant program at Lutheran Hospital. "With a transplant center in Fort Wayne, patients with chronic kidney disease do not need to leave the area to receive a kidney transplant.

"We have a very dedicated and talented transplant team that helps the patients through the transplant process and follows them long-term to ensure the best possible outcomes. This is all done, right here, at Lutheran Hospital. With the success of the program, our center continues to grow and we are attracting patients from neighboring communities and states. Our transplant program is known for its high quality and personalized care."

Meanwhile, organ shortage in transplantation continues to be a growing problem with more than 100,000 patients waiting for a kidney transplant. Every day, 19 patients die in the U.S. waiting for an organ.

"This problem can be solved only by both living and deceased donor organ donation," Kizilisik said.

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