Albany Medical Center has the highest
\nthree-year kidney transplant survival
\nrate in the United States, according to
\ndata released by the Scientific Registry of
\nTransplant Recipients (SRTR), a national
\ndatabase of transplant statistics.<\/p>\n
The announcement was made at a joint
\npress conference with the Center for Donation
\nand Transplant to highlight the need
\nfor individuals to become organ and tissue
\ndonors in advance of Donate Life Month,
\nwhich began April 1.<\/p>\n
Dr. David Conti professor of surgery and
\ndirector of the section of transplantation
\nat Albany Medical Center, credited Albany
\nMed’s multidisciplinary approach to care
\nfor the successful outcomes.<\/p>\n
“Transplant patients often require multiple
\nspecialists to address any number of
\nchronic diseases that may have led to their
\norgan failure, and to keep their new kidney
\nhealthy,” Conti said. “Caring for these patients
\nbefore, during, and following a transplant
\nrequires teamwork and expertise at
\nthe very highest levels, and we are grateful
\nto our colleagues here at the Medical Center
\nfor working so hard to maintain ease in the
\ncoordination of care.”<\/p>\n
“While we are proud of our results, we are
\nmost grateful that we are able to provide our
\npatients with better health and an enhanced
\nquality of life,” he said.<\/p>\n
The most recently released statistics
\nreviewed kidney transplant outcomes from
\nJanuary 2009 through June 2011 of all 254
\nkidney transplant programs in the United
\nStates. Based on 117 kidney transplants
\nperformed at Albany Med, 97.4 percent
\nof those kidneys transplanted were still
\nfunctioning after three years, significantly
\nhigher than the expected national survival
\nrate of 86.7 percent. Additionally, Albany
\nMed’s hazard ratio for graft loss was 0.29, the lowest value of any transplant program
\nin the United States.<\/p>\n
Conti also acknowledged that the success
\nof his program could not be possible without
\nthose who donate. “Each transplant we
\nperform is the result of some individual’s
\nselfless gift — whether in death or in life —
\nand for that, we are most grateful,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mike Thibault, executive director of the
\nCenter for Donation and Transplant, commended
\nAlbany Med’s kidney transplant
\nprogram for its work and stressed the need
\nfor more people to consider donation.<\/p>\n
“The Center for Donation and Transplant
\nsincerely commends the success of Albany
\nMedical Center’s kidney transplant program
\nand the many lives saved as a result of the
\nhard work and dedication of Dr. Conti and
\nhis team,” Thibault said. “The shortage of
\norgan donors in the U.S., and especially in
\nNew York state, is a public health crisis.
\nEvery 15 hours a New Yorker is lost because
\na life-saving organ is not available. The
\nCenter for Donation and Transplant encourages
\nall New Yorkers to get the facts about
\norgan donation and give the gift of life by
\nsigning up to be a donor on the New York
\nstate Donate Life Registry.”<\/p>\n
More than 123,000 people in the United
\nStates are awaiting an organ for transplant.
\nFor every 150 people added to the list each
\nday, 19 people die waiting for organs, according
\nto the Center for Donation and
\nTransplant.<\/p>\n
The SRTR, founded in 1987, supports
\nongoing evaluation of the scientific and
\nclinical status of solid organ transplantation,
\nincluding kidney, heart, liver, lung,
\nintestine, and pancreas. Data in the registry
\nare collected by the Organ Procurement
\nand Transplantation Network (OPTN) from
\nhospitals and organ procurement organizations
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Albany Medical Center has the highest three-year kidney transplant survival rate in the United States, according to data released by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), a national database of transplant statistics. The announcement was made at a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[48,57,82],"class_list":["post-16573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news","tag-albany","tag-business-news","tag-healthcare"],"yoast_head":"\r\n