OHSU Transplants 5000th Organ

Health Care

The Oregon Health & Science University Transplant Program - one of the oldest, largest and most successful transplant programs in the United States - has transplanted its 5,000th organ.

The recipient, Alicia Soine, 29, of Portland, received a life-saving kidney from her brother, Justin Riedl, 33, of Newburg. Both are thriving.

Like many in need of a kidney, liver or heart, Soine’s journey to transplant was long and arduous, but she says it was well worth it.

“I didn’t realize how incredibly sick I was until after the transplant. Six to eight weeks following surgery, I finally felt like a whole person. I’ve been dealing with this [kidney disease] for most of my 20s, and I’m incredibly lucky my brother was a match and willing to donate. Having been on dialysis, I’ve met people in the same boat who, unfortunately, didn’t receive an organ in time. I am grateful to be alive, and I hope others will consider registering and donating,” Soine said.

Soine first learned she had kidney disease  - focal segmental glomerularsclerosis - when she became pregnant eight years ago. Her body didn’t tolerate the pregnancy due to her kidney disease. After six months, she was admitted to the hospital, where she stayed for two weeks, eventually undergoing an emergency C-section. Her son, Parker, was born at 24 weeks’ gestation and weighed just 1 pound 5 ounces. Although he struggled for several years with complications, you wouldn’t know that today. Parker just completed second grade at Capital Hill Elementary in southwest Portland and is looking forward to a long summer break.

“Soine's experience gives voice to how a transplant can transform life in a very positive way. The decision to make a living donation or the commitment to become an organ donor in general, takes courage, is magnanimous, and should be applauded,” said Mike Seely, M.S., C.P.T.C., executive director of Organ Procurement and Transplant Services at OHSU.

OHSU transplanted its first organ Oct. 9, 1959 – just the 18th successful kidney transplant in the world. The transplant involved identical twins who are alive and well today. In fact, the recipient, age 60, is one of the longest-surviving transplant recipients in the world.

Since its inception, the OHSU Transplant Program has expanded to include heart, liver, pancreas and lungs. The team transplants more than 200 organs a year. Over the years, thousands of people with life-limiting disease have been saved thanks to organ transplantation at OHSU. And along the way, the transplant team has actively contributed to new transplant technologies, including: surgical techniques, organ retrieval and preservation, donor and recipient matching, recipient preparation, chronic immunosuppression regimens, and prevention and treatment of complications.

To date, the OHSU Transplant Program has transplanted: 3,822 kidneys, 496 hearts, 570 livers, 126 pancreata and 24 lungs. The program has been a part of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) since its inception in 1984 and a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) since 1988.

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OHSU TRANSPLANT PROGRAM
OHSU’s three-year kidney transplant patient survival rates, as reported in January 2007 by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients - SRTR, www.ustransplant.org; the official data analysis and reporting body of the OPTN - are 95 percent vs. 90 percent for the United States overall. OHSU’s three-year graft survival rates, 89 percent vs. 83 percent for the United States overall, are statistically higher than expected.

Kidney Transplant Facts
OHSU's kidney transplant program started in 1959.

The transplant team has performed 3,822 kidney transplants as of June 12, 2007. 

OHSU’s three-year patient survival rate for kidney transplants is 95 percent; the three-year graft survival rate is 89 percent. 

The median wait for a kidney transplant at OHSU in 2006 was 476 days.

Liver Transplant Facts
OHSU's liver transplant program started in 1988.

The transplant team has performed 570 liver transplants as of June 12, 2007. 

The transplant program is a consortium between OHSU and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The team has performed an additional 300 liver transplants at the VA for a consortium total of 870. 

OHSU’s one-year patient survival rate for liver transplants is 88 percent; the three-year survival rate is 81 percent. 

The median wait for a liver transplant at OHSU in 2006 was 108 days.

Heart Transplant Facts
OHSU’s heart transplant program started in 1985.

The transplant team has performed 496 heart transplants as of June 12, 2007. 

OHSU’s one-year patient survival rate for heart transplants is 88.6 percent; the three-year survival rate is 88.5 percent. 

The median wait for a heart transplant at OHSU in 2006 was 24 days.

Pancreas Transplant Facts
OHSU's pancreas transplant program started in 1987.

The transplant team has performed 126 pancreas-kidney and pancreas transplants as of June 12, 2007. 

The three-year patient survival rate for pancreas transplants is 100 percent, and the three-year graft survival rate is 87 percent. 

The median wait for a pancreas transplant at OHSU in 2006 was 93 days.


Tamara Hargens-Bradley
Senior Director, Strategic Communications
OHSU
503-494-8231