Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center

Setting the Standard for Excellence in Kidney Transplantation

The Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center of Cedars-Sinai is leading the quest to offer people with kidney failure and diabetes new hope and improved quality of life.

Innovative research at Cedars-Sinai has made it possible for people who are highly sensitized (have high antibodies to transplant targets) to successfully receive kidney transplants. Other research being done at Cedars-Sinai is helping to break down barriers of blood and tissue incompatibility. This means that people who couldn't be considered for a transplant before now have a better chance of a successful transplant.

In 1999, Cedars-Sinai developed and received UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) certification for pancreas transplantation. Cedars-Sinai is one of a select few medical centers in Southern California performing kidney-pancreas transplants.

Pancreas transplantation is used to prevent or reverse secondary complications of diabetes. The treatment is reserved for patients who are undergoing kidney transplantation and are also Type 1 diabetic. Diabetic patients who have already undergone kidney transplantation are also candidates. The procedure is restricted to this patient population because pancreas transplantation alone is not a lifesaving procedure.

Cedars-Sinai has built its reputation as a center for kidney and pancreas transplants on the following qualities:

High survival rates after transplant. According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, kidney transplant survival rates at the Cedars-Sinai Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center meet or exceed national standards for one-month, one-year and three-year survival after transplant for both pediatric and adult transplant patients.
Innovative programs that make some transplants possible even when there are blood or tissue incompatibility issues.The Cedars-Sinai Transplant Immunotherapy Program makes it possible for people who are highly sensitized or ABO incompatible to have a successful transplant.
A team of experts. The doctors, nephrologists, surgeons, pharmacists, researchers and transplant nursing team members include top-ranking national experts. Many of the doctors in the Center are consistently included in the annual publication America's Best Doctors, and are considered international experts in the field of transplantation. Your primary physician is a valued member of the team. Cedars-Sinai specialists stay in touch with your doctor on an on-going basis so that every medical detail is carefully considered during diagnosis, treatment and follow-up.
Comprehensive care. The Cedars-Sinai Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center provides the full spectrum of services needed for a successful kidney transplant. Transplant patients have access to the full range of Cedars-Sinai's internationally renowned, state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment technologies.
On-site virology and immunology lab. The Transplant Immunology Laboratory offers rapid viral PCR testing along with tests designed to monitor immune system function.
These tests are useful in predicting the risk for transplant rejection and serious infections after transplantation.
Patient-centered care. At the heart of all the innovation, research and technology is the patient and his or her family. At Cedars-Sinai, each patient has more direct contact with the transplant doctors. Ongoing surveys of patient satisfaction consistently rank Cedars-Sinai highly.
Research and innovation. Our long-term commitment to research has resulted in the introduction of dramatic innovations (such as the Transplant Immunotherapy Program) that offer renewed hope and improved quality of life to patients with failed kidneys.

Cedars-Sinai is repeatedly sought out by scientists, national research institutions, funding organizations and pharmaceutical entities as a preferred site for scientific investigations. Improved procedures and techniques originated here have been adopted by medical institutions around the world.

In the 2011-12 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals issue, Cedars-Sinai once again ranked among America's best in Kidney Disorders.