Since organ transplant surgery was first introduced in the mid-1900s, the number of seriously ill patients waiting for an organ has steadily increased. Currently, there are more than 90,000 people on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) registry waiting for an organ. In Illinois alone, there are more than 4,600 people on the UNOS registry. Unfortunately, the number of organs available for transplantation has not kept pace with the demand. In 2004 only 20,000 organs from deceased donors were available nationwide.
To lessen this gap, surgeons found a way to transplant organs between two living people. The first living donor transplant surgery was performed in 1954. Since this pioneering surgery, thousands of patients have received life-saving organs from living donors. Kidney is the most common living donor transplant performed since the body can function normally with only one kidney. Living donor liver transplants are also performed as the liver can regenerate itself to replace the transplanted portion.
The number of living organ donors has greatly increased over the years. In 1993, there were approximately 3,000 living donors and in 2004, there were more than 6,900. This number continues to increase as more centers perform living donor transplants and more people become aware of the procedure.
Northwestern Memorial Hospital's Kovler Organ Transplantation Center is
one of the best in the region and is a leader in living donor
transplant surgery. Our transplant physicians and nurses have performed more than 1,000 living donor kidney transplants and more than 100 living donor liver transplants. Living donor transplantation makes good sense. There is no waiting period and the surgery can be scheduled at a convenient time for the donor and recipient. An organ from a live donor often works sooner than an organ from a cadaveric or deceased donor and typically lasts longer.
Living donors must be in good health, over the age of 18 and have a compatible blood type with the organ recipient. Those who agree to be a living donor do so as a volunteer and find great reward in saving a life.
Contact
Galter Pavilion
675 N. St. Clair, Suite 17-200
Chicago, Illinois
Kidney Living Donor - (312) 695-0828
Liver Living Donor - (312) 695-0870
