Milestones reflect dedication and commitment to giving patients a second chance at life
August 30, 2024
In the news: The UCI Health Kidney Transplant Program, Orange County's oldest and largest program, recently reached a notable milestone on February 7th when it transplanted its 200th kidney into a grateful recipient.
Patients, their loved ones, and UCI Health colleagues came together on August 28 to celebrate. said Dr. Robert Redfield III, Chief of Transplant Surgery. orange county register About what those numbers represent.
“…It's not about punching numbers. It's a reflection of the dedication and hard work and dedication of everyone here. This is a really large-scale operation that has a huge impact on people's lives and gives them a second chance at life. It's a very important thing to celebrate.”
According to the National Kidney Foundation, about 101,000 people are waiting for a kidney donation. Kidneys from living donors last 15 to 20 years, while kidneys from deceased donors last 8 to 12 years.
Living kidney donation enables direct donation and paired exchange, bringing together two or more pairs of people to create a viable kidney donor exchange. Approximately one-third of the kidneys transplanted at UCI Medical Center, part of UCI Health, are from living donors.
Redfield is a transplant surgeon at UCI Health and professor and head of the division of transplantation in the UC Irvine School of Medicine Department of Surgery. His clinical practice focuses on kidney and pancreas transplantation and minimally invasive living nephrectomy.
