Abdominal Organ Transplant Program Continues Tradition of Successful Patient Outcomes

In fiscal year 2019, 236 patients received kidneys and/or pancreas transplants at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, which marks the highest annual total in the 49-year history of Wake Forest Baptist’s Abdominal Organ Transplant Program.

During the period July 2018 to June 2019, Wake Forest Baptist surgeons performed 214 kidney transplants (41 with living donors), 21 kidney-pancreas transplants and one pancreas transplant, with an overall one-year patient survival rate of 99.6 percent and graft survival (transplant success) rate of 99 percent.

Wake Forest Baptist performs more kidney transplants than any other transplant center in North Carolina; is one of the largest transplant centers in the United Network for Organ Sharing region that includes Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia; and is one of the 20 most active in the United States.

“Our team has implemented new initiatives that make pre-transplant evaluations more convenient, proactive and collaborative, and help patients identify potential living donors,” said Robert J. Stratta, M.D., professor of surgery and director of Wake Forest Baptist’s Abdominal Organ Transplant Program. “Our goal is to get patients who will benefit from transplant on the waiting list quicker and do everything possible to help them find a living donor since living donor transplants are the best way to ‘End The Wait’ and result in the best transplant outcomes.”

Overall transplant volumes have increased 40 percent in the past year, living donor kidney transplant rates have increased 24 percent and lengths of stay have decreased for both donors and recipients. Wake Forest Baptist continues to receive a high rating for the speed in which patients can receive a deceased donor transplant which has been shown to be the single best measure for increasing survival after someone is placed on a transplant waiting list.

“Transplantation is the ultimate team sport, and these successful outcomes for our patients would not be possible without the dedication of our entire staff and the vision and commitment from our institution,” Stratta said.

Media contacts: 

Joe McCloskey, jmcclosk@wakehealth.edu, 336-716-1273