Welcome to the University of Chicago Section of Transplant Surgery.
We have expertise in the areas of heart, kidney, liver, lung, and pancreas transplantation as well as complex surgical procedures involving multi-organ transplants. The University of Chicago has a long standing history of firsts in transplantation and we are continually seeking out new and creative ways to advance the science of transplantation.
We also have full unconditional accreditation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for all of our solid organ programs.
The University of Chicago is a world leader in organ transplantation. The first human transplant was performed at our institution, as well as the first successful heart-liver-kidney transplant. Our surgeons and researchers are actively striving to not only to provide comprehensive, compassionate care, but also to stay at the forefront of transplant innovation, including through the current research of iselt transplantation for advanced Type 1 diabetes. Find out more about our clinical specialty programs.
The University of Chicago Medical Center has been a leader in diabetes research since the early 1900s. In fact, one of our researchers played a crucial role in the discovery of insulin. Now our research efforts are focused on islet cell transplantation. We have developed a clinical trial, which has been IRB-approved, involving islet cell transplantation and have received state funding to support this initiative.
Anita Chong, PhD, is the Director of the Transplant Immunology Research Center. She and her staff have been awarded several NIH grants and are studying transplant tolerance as well as the immunology of xenograft rejection. They are actively investigating the mechanism for allograft tolerance as well as the roles of antibodies in allotransplantation.
We have an onsite dedicated clinical transplant laboratory which is accredited by JCAHO and CLIA. This lab provides monitoring of all Prograf levels for transplant patients as well as T cell monitoring post transplant. This is the only laboratory in the U.S. that can perform assay levels of Leflunomide or Arava, which are currently being used for the concomitant treatment of rejection and viral infection in clinical transplantation. These assay levels are being provided to a variety of transplant programs in the country currently using this medication.
The Transplant Surgery fellowship conducts its training at the University of Chicago Medical Center, led by John LaMattina, MD under the daily supervision of full-time faculty members. The fellowship program is divided into liver, kidney, and pancreas components.
