UC Irvine Health System
08/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/30/2024 16:11
UCI Medical Center celebrates 200th kidney transplant
UCI Medical Center celebrates 200th kidney transplant
Milestone reflects dedication, commitment to giving patients a second chance at life
August 30, 2024
Kidney transplant recipient Judy Steffy of Anaheim Hills and Dr. Uttam Reddy, nephrologist and medical director of the UCI transplant program, share a hug during the 200th kidney transplant milestone celebration at UCI Medical Center. Credit: Paul Rodriguez, contributing photographer, Orange County Register.
IN THE NEWS: The UCI Health Kidney Transplant Program, the oldest and largest program in Orange County, recently reached a remarkable milestone on Feb. 7 when it transplanted the 200th kidney into a grateful recipient.
Patients, their loved ones and UCI Health co-workers gathered on Aug. 28 to celebrate. Transplant surgery Chief Dr. Robert Redfield III spoke to the Orange County Register about what those numbers represent.
"…It's not about hitting a number. It's a reflection of the dedication and the hard work and commitment of everyone here. It's really a huge operation and has a huge impact on people's lives, to give them a second chance at life and it's a really important thing to celebrate."
About 101,000 people are waiting for a kidney donation, according to the National Kidney Foundation. A kidney from a living donor lasts between 15 and 20 years, while one from a deceased donor lasts between 8 and 12 years.
Living kidney donations enable direct donations and paired exchanges, which link two or more pairs of people to get viable kidney donor exchanges. About one-third of kidneys transplanted at UCI Medical Center, part of UCI Health, have come from living donors.
Redfield is a transplant surgeon at UCI Health, as well as professor and chief of the Division of Transplantation in the Department of Surgery at UC Irvine School of Medicine. His clinical practice is focused on kidney and pancreas transplantation and minimally invasive living donor nephrectomy.