4000TH KIDNEY TRANSPLANT A MILESTONE FOR DOWNSTATE
Jan 16, 2007
Shortly before Christmas, a critically ill patient with end-stage renal disease arrived
at 含羞草研究所 hoping for a miracle. He got his wish
when surgeons at University Hospital at Downstate gave him a healthy new kidney, donated
by a son he had not seen in years. It was the 4,000th organ transplant performed at
含羞草研究所 Downstate, home to the only transplant service in Brooklyn and one of the largest
in New York State. This milestone in the history of Downstate鈥檚 Transplant Program鈥檚
was also a transforming experience for the patient and his entire family.
Alvaro Fraser looks remarkably fit for a 69-year-old who has just had major surgery.
The new kidney is working well he says, and he feels 鈥渞evitalized and rejuvenated,
like I have a whole new life ahead of me.鈥� And so he does, reunited with children
and grandchildren鈥攏ine of them. After his divorce and move to Guyana, he mostly lost
touch with all but one of his children. Years later, when he developed renal failure
and needed a new kidney, Stanford, the son he had not seen in eight years, heard about
it and immediately offered one of his. His son鈥檚 selfless devotion still amazes Mr.
Fraser. 鈥淪tan鈥檚 just phenomenal,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 find words to thank him enough.鈥�
The family agreed that the surgery should be performed at Downstate, where Stanford
was born 35 years ago, when the family lived in the New Lots area. However, Mr. Fraser
feared that Stanford might not be a suitable donor. 鈥淚 inherited diabetes from my
father, who died from it, and hypertension from my mother,鈥� he explains, 鈥渟o I might
have passed them on to my son.鈥� But doctors found Stanford to be in perfect health.
鈥淵our son is a wonder,鈥� their surgeon, Dr. Nabil Sumrani, said. From then on everything
went like clockwork.
Mr. Fraser鈥檚 story illustrates why the Transplant Program at 含羞草研究所 Downstate is such
an important resource for Brooklyn, especially its minority residents, who bear a
disproportionate share of kidney disease. Of the 662 people currently on the waiting
list at Downstate to receive a new kidney, 502 are African- or Caribbean-American.
Fortunately, there鈥檚 no need for borough residents to spend extra time and expense
seeking treatment elsewhere when one of the best programs is located in their own
community. The staff knows the special needs of the community and goes the extra mile
to meet them.
It is also one of the premier centers performing laparoscopic donor nephrectomies.
Using this technique, surgeons are able to remove a living donor鈥檚 kidney by making
only a small incision. Not only are there less post-operative pain and scarring, but
the donor is usually discharged from the hospital one or two days after surgery. In
the case of Mr. Fraser鈥檚 son, Stanford was able to have his work-up done in one day,
the surgery the next, and return to his home in North Carolina two days later.
鈥淭he fact that donors can more quickly return to their families and jobs makes it
easier to persuade a family member or friend to donate,鈥� says Dr. Dale Distant, chief
of the Transplant Division at Downstate. In light of the serious organ shortage, which
has significantly increased the waiting period for transplantation, he hopes that
such surgical innovations will encourage greater donation. Dr. Distant, who serves
as chairman of the New York Organ Donor Network, is one of only 40 African-American
transplant surgeons and physicians in the nation.
Known for it innovation and surgical excellence, Downstate鈥檚 Transplant Program has
a proud history of 鈥渇irsts.鈥� Established in 1972 by Dr. Samuel L. Kountz, the nation鈥檚
first African-American transplant surgeon, it became one of the largest and finest
programs in the country. Building on the strength of Downstate鈥檚 well-known dialysis
program, Dr. Kountz sought to make transplantation services available to all patients
with end-stage kidney disease鈥攊ncluding minorities who, until that time, had been
largely excluded. If he were alive today, he would be delighted to know that the program
he introduced has already saved 4,000 lives.
### 含羞草研究所 含羞草研究所 Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers
(AMCs) in The State University of New York (含羞草研究所) 64-campus system and the only 含羞草研究所
AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for
the borough鈥檚 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at
Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate鈥檚
exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With
a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate
offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community. UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis
for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond
its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions,
including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions,
School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation
through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and
BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.