Duke offers experience and expertise in kidney transplants for patients with end-stage kidney disease, as well as kidney and pancreas transplants for patients with type I diabetes and kidney failure.

Duke performs combined kidney and pancreas transplants as well as kidney transplant followed by a pancreas transplant. Duke offers pancreas-only transplants on a case-by-case basis. However, these transplants are uncommon.

In 1965, Duke University Hospital was the first institution in North Carolina to perform a kidney transplant. Since that time, Duke has continued to be a leader in the field of kidney transplantation. To date, more than 3,000 patients have received a kidney transplant at Duke.

Comprehensive Treatment for Kidney Failure

Once a patient has been referred to Duke(PDF), our dedicated team of surgeons, nephrologists, nurse coordinators, and social workers works closely with the patient from pre-transplant evaluations through post-transplant care.

In addition to treating patient with end-stage kidney failure, we offer transplants to patients with co-morbid conditions such as HIV, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and high body-mass index. 

Our team has expertise in living donation, which offers recipients shorter waiting times and better outcomes compared to deceased-donor organs. We strive to transplant these organs preemptively before a recipient needs dialysis.

Kidney transplant surgery itself takes about four hours. Patients usually stay in the hospital for four to six days. You will need to return to Duke frequently for checkups during the first year after your transplant.

The kidney and pancreas transplant surgery takes about six to eight hours. These patients generally stay in the hospital seven to 10 days.

Kidney Paired Donation Program

The Duke Kidney Paired Donation Program assists donor and recipient pairs who are incompatible or poorly matched in finding another donor and recipient pair with whom they can exchange kidneys to enable better matching, allowing a transplant to take place.

Learn more about the Kidney Paired Donation Program in the video below. 

Experienced Program, Excellent Results

Duke is among the Southeast's leading centers in terms of patient volumes and outcomes. With one of the nation’s most experienced pediatric renal transplant programs, Duke has special expertise in transplanting patients with congenital kidney conditions.

More than 30 percent of these patients transplanted have received a kidney from a living donor. In 2009 Duke surgeons pioneered the use of single-incision laparoscopic surgery for removing kidneys from living donors, a technique that has since become the standard of care at Duke.

Promising Research

Many of our patients participate in clinical research trials of new medication regimens to prevent rejection and foster long-term function of the transplanted organ.

Pre-Transplant Coordinators

• Carolyn Boone, RN, MSN
• Vanessa Neal, RN, BSN

Post-Transplant Coordinators

• Rosalyn Carter, RN
• Leslie Hicks, RN, MSN
• JoAnne Prinzhorn, RN
• Judy Smith, RN, BSN

Transplant Social Workers

• Jessica Farrel, MSW, LCSW
• Jennifer Harrill, MSW, LCSW-P
• Donna Ryan, MSW, LCSW

Study Coordinator

• Sherrie Jarvis, RN
• Leigh Kiger
• Leslie Lewis
• Virginia Walters

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Brennan, Todd V.
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant
• Collins, Bradley H.
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant
• Ellis, Matthew J.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Nephrology
  • Surgery
• Martin, Abigail E.
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Chairman Office
• Patel, Uptal D.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Nephrology
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Nephrology
• Ravindra, Kadiyala V.
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant
• Sanoff, Scott L.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Nephrology
• Smith, Stephen R.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Nephrology
• Sudan, Debra L.
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant
  • Pediatrics / Pediatrics-Chairman Office
• Vikraman, Deepak
  • Surgery / Abdominal Transplant

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke University Hospital
  2301 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710