Organ Transplantation
A Service of Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare

Did you know that one of the country’s leading providers of organ transplantation is close to home at Jewish Hospital?

The Transplant Center, a joint program with the University of Louisville School of Medicine, is nationally recognized. The Jewish Hospital Transplant Center performed:

• Kentucky’s first adult heart transplant
• Kentucky’s first pancreas transplant
• Kentucky’s first heart-lung transplant
• Kentucky’s first liver transplant
• Kentucky’s first minimally invasive kidney donation

The Center is one of an elite group approved to perform all five solid organ transplants and has been named a Federally Designated Medicare Heart, Lung, Kidney, Liver and Pancreas Transplant Center. It is a member of numerous national transplant networks.

Since the beginning of the program, the Jewish Hospital Transplant Center has transplanted 2250 kidneys, 500 livers and 121 pancreases.

The Transplant Center takes a team approach to providing care for you and your family. Dedicated surgeons, physicians, nurses, psychiatrists, social workers and transplant coordinators manage every aspect of your pre- and post-operative care. They will even arrange visits with transplant recipients and support group members who can answer questions about returning to the highest possible quality of life.

The Gift of Life

In addition to transplantation, The Jewish Hospital Transplant Center is actively involved with efforts to increase awareness of the need for organ donation.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of donated organs, many people never receive lifesaving transplants. That’s why the Center encourages live donation when appropriate and places a priority on public education, helping young people and families understand that donating organs saves lives.

Although you may never need a transplant, you can pass-on the gift of life by signing an organ donation card and discussing your wishes with your family.

Liver Tumor Institute

The Liver Tumor Institute is a multi-disciplinary unit that combines the expertise of our hepatology, gastroenterology, oncology, radiation, interventional radiology and surgical groups. We offer cutting-edge technologies in the treatment of liver, bile duct and pancreatic cancer. As part of our mission we offer multiple cutting edge trials including new devices and new drugs to treat cancer or transplant related rejections and/or infections. We are also actively pursuing laboratory investigations in nanotechnology (microtechnology), biologic agents and vaccines to treat primary and metastatic liver tumors.

Research at the Jewish Hospital and the University of Louisville

New chemotherapeutic drugs: Nexavar- A drug that cuts off the blood vessels to a growing tumor.

Nanotechnology: Miniature particles that can deliver or direct anticancer therapy directly to these tumors.

Epigenetic studies: The genetic study of tumors to identify outcomes prior to resection or transplantation.