Every organ transplant requires specialized care. But for people needing two or more organs at once—called dual or multi-organ transplantation—a team with expertise in coordinating this complex process is essential.
If you have advanced or serious disease in more than one organ, our program offers an option to transplant multiple organs during the same procedure or during two surgeries timed closely together. The most common types of multi-organ transplants are heart-kidney and heart-liver.
In some cases, you may find out you need a multi-organ transplant during the evaluation process for a single organ. For example, tests for a heart transplant could show a possible need for a new kidney, as well. Our multi-organ transplant team is ready to help you understand your options and navigate your transplant care.
Simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplants are performed for patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes who qualify. The dual transplant functions better than a kidney alone, because the new pancreas protects the transplanted kidney from the harmful effects of diabetes. As a result, the new kidney performs better and longer in the kidney/pancreas transplant recipient.
Many kidney/pancreas transplant recipients are free of diabetes years after their transplant and report a higher quality of life than kidney-alone patients.
