Transplant Surgery
Tufts Medical Center’s Transplant Surgical Services is one of the most successful multi-organ transplant programs in New England.
We are centered around three components:
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Our model multidisciplinary team approach to transplantation
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Our thorough and personalized medical evaluation process that includes searching for alternative treatments to transplantation
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Our survival statistics – all above national averages.
Our Transplantation Services also feature dedicated, HEPA-filtered surgery facilities and a continual commitment on the part of our physicians and staff to keep both our patients and referring physicians informed and involved in the treatment process.
We have played a significant role in the field of transplant surgery, beginning with the development of the very first immunosuppressive drugs. Our contributions began in the 1950's, when NEMC's research into the immune system led Tufts University researchers Robert Schwartz and William Dameshek to the discovery of the chemical 6-mercaptopurine and its immunosuppressive effects. This breakthrough led to the formulation of the drug azathioprine and ushered in the modern era of transplant immunosuppression. Then in the 1960’s, Dr. Herbert Fischer performed the first human small bowel transplants in the world at Tufts Medical Center’s Floating Hospital for Children. Liver and kidney transplants are now routine at Tufts Medical Center and our heart and bone marrow transplant programs also continue to grow and excel.
Our transplantation staff is comprised of some of the finest and most accomplished surgeons, medical specialists and nurses in the country. We have performed more than 728 liver and 1051 kidney transplants (as of 11/16/07) for both adult and pediatric patients since the program's inception in 1971. The Medical Center is well known for its excellent results in both kidney and liver transplantation, and our outcomes exceed national standards.
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