Welcome to the Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Program at ECMC

Being a patient at ECMC means having the extensive resources of our state-of-the-art facility, as well as internationally renowned experts in managing end-stage renal disease (ESRD), available for your care. Our full-service team approach to care helps patients achieve the most enriching quality of life possible at any stage of kidney (also called renal) failure, from mild kidney damage to ESRD.

At ECMC, we provide complete patient care in one convenient location, with a focus on excellence and compassion. Our kidney services include:

• Expert clinical consultation services for patients with difficult-to-control high blood pressure, blood or protein in urine, kidney stones or infections and poor kidney function
• Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis—ECMC is recognized for establishing the first Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) program in Western New York
• Kidney, pancreas and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation
• Specialty consults for pregnant women with kidney problems
• Emergent dialysis and nephrology consultation services for acutely ill or injured hospitalized patients
• Nutritional advice about low salt intake and special diets for renal patients
• Linkages to ECMC's broad scope of rehabilitation, home care and laboratory and outpatient services

ECMC's Transplant Center is also the main University at Buffalo site for the training of future nephrologists and a primary focus of clinical research directed by the transplant physicians and surgeons. We are a participant in the ESRD Network of New York, which includes 15 transplant hospitals and 112 dialysis facilities for more than 10,000 ESRD patients throughout New York State.

When Every Day Counts, Choose ECMC

Over the past four years, more than 50 percent of patients on the ECMC waiting list received a transplant within one year due to aggressive management of patient data.

The median time to transplant (how long it takes for half the candidates waiting for a transplant to receive a kidney) is one-third shorter at ECMC than the national average (see chart below).

Since its establishment in 1964, ECMC's Transplant Program has performed more than 600 kidney transplants, including 125 living donor transplants and nearly 500 cadaveric transplants. In 2004, the medical center expanded the program to include pancreas transplants and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplants.

Recognized for Our Success

In May 2005, ECMC received the Organ Donation Medal of Honor from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in recognition of achieving the national goal of donation rate of 75%. We are accredited by UNOS and the New York State Department of Health.

ECMC's Department of Nephrology also has a long record of nationally recognized research with particular concentrations in the causes and consequences of high blood pressure in pregnancy (pre-eclampsia), the causes of progressive kidney failure, the management of viral illness in kidney transplants and the metabolism of drugs in patients with impaired kidney function.

A History of Achievement

• 1954—The first successful human kidney transplant was performed by Dr. Joseph Murray of the Harvard Medical School at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.
• 1964—The first cadaveric kidney transplant was performed at ECMC (then the EJ Meyer Memorial Hospital).
• 1971—The first successful live donor kidney transplant was performed at ECMC.
• 2001—Laparoscopic kidney removal for live donors was introduced at ECMC.
• 2001—A steroid-free maintenance immunosuppression protocol was introduced.
• 2001—An immunosuppression protocol with reduced calcineurin inhibitors was introduced.
• 2001—The first cadaveric adult-to-adult dual-kidney transplant was performed at ECMC.
• 2004—An immunosuppression protocol completely free of oral steroids was introduced.
• 2004—The first simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant was performed at ECMC.
• 2004—The first pancreas transplant was performed at ECMC.
• 2005—The Altruistic/Non-Directed Living Kidney Donation Program was established.

Leading the Way

Today, only 260 acute-care hospitals in the United States (out of more than 5,800) have a transplant program. And fewer than 2 percent of acute care hospitals—approximately 100 facilities—have multi-organ (kidney, liver, heart) transplant programs. These numbers reflect the highly specialized nature of transplant and the responsibility of the 260 transplant hospitals to provide access to organ transplantation.

At ECMC, we take on this responsibility enthusiastically and with confidence. Using our full-team approach, we have the expertise and technology to help prolong organ function and maintain the best possible quality of life for all our patients. Our multidisciplinary team of nephrologists, urologists, endocrinologists, internal medicine specialists, surgeons, nurse transplant coordinators, social workers, financial counselors and others are specially trained to provide a comprehensive range of services for renal patients.

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