Why choose us?
The Pediatric Kidney Transplant Program at Children’s Memorial is the largest program of its kind in Illinois. Our multidisciplinary approach to care combines center experts with dedicated pediatric surgeons, pediatric urologists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, and nutritionists to diagnose and treat complicated medical and structural problems requiring kidney transplantation. Some highlights of our program:
-
Our team has performed 541 kidney transplants through June 2009.
-
Consistently ranking the program amongst the nation’s leaders for volume, we have performed the 8th highest number of transplants since 1988 (as reported by UNOS).
-
Have performed more than 160 living donor kidney transplants.
-
Exemplary survival rates with 100 percent of patients alive and 98 percent of organs transplanted functioning after one year post transplant (as reported by the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients).
-
30 percent of the kidney transplants performed by our team are preemptive and done before the patient is placed on dialysis, which benefits the patient by helping them avoid potential complications from dialysis.
-
We have a successful track record of performing kidney transplants in patients that have had other organ transplants.
-
We offer deceased and living donor (laparoscopic and open) organ donations.
-
We have a close partnership with the adult kidney transplantation program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which gives us the unique ability to focus on adolescents and assist them with the transition to adulthood and adult care.
Skilled and experienced leadership
The physician leaders of our Pediatric Kidney Transplantation team have been together for more than 20 years and together garner more than 50 years of experience.
-
Richard A. Cohn, MD, Medical Director, has been a member of the team for nearly 30 years and has been directly involved with and managed the care of more than 400 kidney transplants.
-
Riccardo Superina, MD, Surgical Director, holds dual credentials in both pediatric surgery and transplantation surgery, making him one of few such experienced physicians in the country today, and has pioneered surgical procedures now used around the world.
-
Craig B. Langman, MD, Division Head of Kidney Diseases, is a world renown expert in the treatment of kidney diseases with a special interest in the treatment of oxalosis.
Research
Clinical and laboratory research enable the team to offer the most advanced therapies to our kidney transplant patients. Some highlights:
-
Our program is the first in the Midwest to develop a prednisone-free protocol that reduces the patient’s exposure to corticosteroids. Over time, this helps improve the child’s growth and development and reduces the risk of side effects that come with long-term steroid use, including osteoporosis.
-
Scarring in transplanted kidneys is the leading cause of re-transplantation among kidney transplant patients. We are actively engaged in laboratory research focused on studying the prevention of scarring in kidneys, and the results could greatly benefit kidney transplant recipients by helping them avoid re-transplantation.
-
Investigating risk factors for cardiovascular disease in kidney transplant recipients and causes of osteoporosis in kidney transplant recipients.
-
Children’s Memorial is a founding member of the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies (NAPRTCS), a nationwide consortium focused on improving the quality of care received by pediatric kidney transplant recipients.