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Kidney Transplant Program Celebrates 35th Anniversary
University Hospital’s chief operating officer Jim Poehling recognized the 35th anniversary and accomplishments of the program in March during a special ceremony in the main lobby of University Hospital. “Gilbert Ross was instrumental in starting the program and ensuring its continued success,” Poehling said. Ross, the first MU urology resident, later served as chief of the Division of Urology for 22 years. He took sabbatical leave at the University of California-Los Angeles in 1969 to study renal transplantation. On his return, Ross organized the kidney transplant program in conjunction with the late Jack Maher, M.D. Ross faced many administrative hurdles, including concerns with expenses, before gaining approval from the dean and proceeding with the first transplant. On Feb. 11, 1972, a local kidney donor was identified, and the first two kidney transplant procedures were performed that day. “I was terribly nervous,” said Ross. “I knew there was a lot at stake.” The first surgery proved successful and extended the patient’s life by six years. The second surgery extended the patient’s life by 17 years. A year later, financial concerns were eased when the federal Medicare program began paying for kidney transplant dialysis and transplantation. “Once Medicare opened the floodgates by providing the money, the technology was there, and there was a huge expansion,” said Ross. As technology and accessibility to transplantation improved, so have the survival rates of patients. “We had some wonderful success stories, and we have at least three patients who are now going more than 30 years after their original transplants,” said Ross. Ross credits the 35 years of accomplishment to a great working relationship between urology and nephrology specialists at University of Missouri Health Care and outstanding work by nurse transplant coordinators. Ross says the joint program creates an atmosphere where patients come to University Hospital and feel comfortable, and all their specialty needs are met in one place by consistent physicians and staff. “It’s very reassuring to see what started with a lot of misgivings initially flourish and develop and grow into a very solid program,” said Ross. “Based on almost 900 transplants, it’s nice to reflect on the number of people who have been able to benefit from transplantation, in particular our local residents in mid-Missouri.” University Hospital’s kidney transplant program consists of a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals who work together to bring patients the highest-quality care. Transplant surgeons, nephrologists, nurses and other medical support professionals use a highly coordinated care approach for every patient, including pediatric transplants. University Hospital’s specialty team approach contributes to an acute kidney rejection rate of less than 10 percent, compared to the national average for acute kidney rejection of approximately 15 percent. Recent additions to the program include new techniques for immunological evaluation. In keeping with the modernization of technology, University Hospital is one of the first in the region to have initiated laparoscopic donor kidney removal. |
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In February 1972, 
