March 4, 2024
Press conference with Italian officials in Sicily marks milestone
Palermo, Italy, March 4, 2024 – UPMC-ISMETTis an international leader in organ transplantation, advanced cardiothoracic and abdominal surgery, and highly specialized care, and has completed a milestone 3,000 organ transplants. This achievement was made possible by her UPMC expertise in enhancing access to lifesaving transplants for people in Italy and Mediterranean countries.
Located in Palermo, Italy UPMC-ISMETT Developed by UPMC in partnership with the Sicilian government, it is a highly specialized, advanced tertiary hospital that eliminates the need for patients to travel locally or internationally to receive advanced medical care. This is his famous public-private international partnership since 1997, An institute of science-based care and research in the field of end-stage organ failure, serving both adults and children.
3,000th The patient, an 8-year-old girl from Palermo, received a liver transplant through UPMC’s world-renowned living donor program. The patient had citrullinemia type 1 (CTLN1) deficiency. This is a rare disease that can cause severe liver failure. Her split liver surgery, which saves two or more patients with a single donor organ, has been performed on her more than 200 times at UPMC-ISMETT and successfully saved her life.
“Since the beginning of our UPMC International division more than 25 years ago, UPMC has focused on delivering sustainable value and effective solutions to the patients and partners we serve.” said Dr. Joel Nelson, president of International. “Nowhere is this more evident than in his UPMC-ISMETT, which has the highest reputation in Italy and Europe and is considered a leader in living donor transplantation.”
UPMC’s multinational footprint enables knowledge sharing and increases access to the lifesaving skills of renowned surgeons and researchers. Through UPMC’s partnership with the Sicily region, UPMC-ISMETT has been recognized by the Italian National Transplant Center as having the highest survival rate in Italy for its excellence and management of the most complex cases, including double lung transplants and emergency surgeries. I am. transplants, and combined transplants.
“Thanks to our specialized team and the cooperation with the Sicily region, today we can celebrate an important milestone,” said Angelo Luca, MD, Managing Director of UPMC Italy. “Our team’s relentless commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative technology expands treatment options and brings solutions to many patients on the waiting list. It can have a huge impact as a national and international reference point.”
UPMC-ISMETT’s transplant program began in 1999 and has developed into a popular destination for treating adults and children from across Europe and surrounding countries seeking life-saving treatment. According to the numbers, UPMC-ISMETT has:
- 1,628 liver transplants — 311 liver transplants from living donors
- 854 kidney transplants — 289 kidney transplants from living donors
- 222 lung transplants
- 234 heart transplants
- 5 pancreas transplants
- 57 combined transplants — 30 liver-kidney, 2 liver-lung, 4 heart-kidney, 21 kidney-pancreas
Of the 3,000 transplants, 342 were pediatric transplants, around 300 to people living in other regions of Italy and around 150 to people living in neighboring countries.
A press event held in Palermo today included remarks from Dr. Luca and Italian government officials celebrating and recognizing the life-changing care provided to people in the Mediterranean region. More than 200 former transplant patients and their families attended.
“We would like to thank the surgeons, doctors and health workers who serve patients and families with respect in this sensitive field,” said Renato Sifani, President of the Sicily Region. “We are grateful that UPMC-ISMETT is providing this high level of care.”
Expert clinicians and researchers at UPMC-ISMETT continue to develop advanced programs and technologies to overcome chronic organ shortages, including:
- Liver and lung regeneration and reconditioning program. Advanced perfusion procedures regenerate organs from deceased donors whose ischemic damage made transplantation or transportation between distant countries impossible.
- ECMO, organ preservation from non-beating heart donors with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It creates an “artificial lung” and allows for the transplantation of organs that are otherwise unusable.
- We perform ABO-incompatible kidney transplants through a program specifically for patients and donors with ABO-incompatible blood types.
- Liver division surgery performed to save 3,000 lives at UPMC-ISMETTth Transplant patients divide their donated liver into two or more parts that can be transplanted into different recipients, increasing the number of lives saved by a single donor organ.
These scientific discoveries and innovations, combined with increased awareness and widespread adoption of living donor transplants, position UPMC-ISMETT to continue to significantly expand treatment options for people seeking organ transplants throughout the Mediterranean region.
Photo (click to see high resolution version)
Caption: UPMC-ISMETT Transplant Schedule.
Credit: UPMC
Second photo:
Caption: UPMC-ISMETT Transplant Fact Sheet by the Numbers.
Credit: UPMC
Third photo:
Caption: Dr. Angelo Luca, Managing Director, UPMC Italy
Credit: UPMC
4th photo:
caption: Renato Sifani, President of Sicily
Credit: UPMC
