August 5, 2019
COLUMBUS, Ohio – As one of the nation’s busiest transplant centers, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center just surpassed more than 10,000 transplant surgeries.
“Less than 10% of the nation’s transplant centers have reached this milestone,” said Dr. Harold L. Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at The Ohio State University and CEO at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “This achievement is a testament to the dedication and expertise of our transplant team and their commitment to transform as many lives as possible.”
Ranked 14th by volume in the United States in 2018, The Ohio State Comprehensive Transplant Center is home to central Ohio’s only adult transplant center. It’s been caring for patients with diseases of the heart, lung, kidney, liver and pancreas since 1967, when Ohio State performed its first transplant of a kidney.
The number of transplants performed at Ohio State has increased 62% over the last three fiscal years. As of August 2, there have been 10,007 transplant surgeries performed – 6,921 kidney, 1,152 liver, 171 pancreas, 526 heart, 933 kidney-pancreas and 304 lung transplants.
“Our goal is to continue to grow as much as we can and to help as many patients as we can,” said Dr. Kenneth Washburn, executive director of the Ohio State Comprehensive Transplant Center and director of the Division of Transplantation.
To accomplish this aim, the Comprehensive Transplant Center embarked on a large research initiative, introducing lung and liver perfusion programs to increase the number of organs viable for transplant, as well as basic science research to develop methods to repair organs prior to transplant.
The center offers living liver and kidney donation programs including kidney chain donation. As an academic medical center, Ohio State trains the next generation of people who are interested in medical and surgical transplantation. In addition, the transplant team is opening clinics throughout Ohio to ease access to care for patients.
“We’re creating extensions of our program to help eliminate the constraints of travel by transferring some of the care locally,” Washburn said. “Patients can be evaluated and receive pre- and post-transplant care closer to home.”
The Ohio State Comprehensive Transplant Center has 125 physicians, nurses and staff dedicated to helping as many people as possible receive the gift of life. Services include heart, lung, liver, kidney, kidney-pancreas and pancreas transplantation.
To register as an organ donor, visit: wexnermedical.osu.edu/Buckeye4Life.
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Media Contact: Serena Smith, Wexner Medical Center Public Affairs and Media Relations, 614-293-3737, Serena.Smith@osumc.edu