Celebrating 50 years
of saving
lives through transplantation
When Nobel laureate winner, Dr. Joseph E. Murray and his colleagues transplanted
a kidney from Ronald Herrick into his identical twin, Richard, on Dec. 23,
1954, they were exploring unknown territory. It was the first time an organ
from one individual had ever been successfully transplanted into another.
Fifty years and some 400,000 transplants later, transplants have evolved from
an experimental procedure to common therapy for many serious conditions.
University of Colorado Hospital’s kidney transplant program was started
in the early 1960s by world-renowned surgeon Dr. Thomas Starzl. The first
kidney transplant at University of Colorado Hospital was performed under Starzl’s
hand in March 1962 between identical twins who did not require immunosuppression.
In 1963, less than 10 years after Murray’s successful kidney transplant,
Starzl successfully completed the world’s first liver transplant at
University of Colorado Hospital. Just this year, the hospital reached its
own transplant milestone when the 1,000th liver transplant was performed in
July.
Consistent survival in most early patients was achieved only through organ
donation from living, related donors. At the time, the results with living,
non-related donors or deceased donors were variable and unpredictable. In
1980, Starzl was the first surgeon in the United States to use cyclosporine,
the best immunosuppressant to-date.
“Medical advancements have had a profound influence on the success rate
of organ transplants,” said Igal Kam, MD, division head of transplant
surgery at University of Colorado Hospital and professor at the CU School
of Medicine. “The introduction of cyclosporin – a drug that effectively
treats organ rejection – was probably one of the most significant influences
on transplant success.”
Today, the hospital’s transplant program is among the five largest in
the country and is one of the only programs of its kind in the Rocky Mountain
region. More than 1,600 people have received a life enhancing or lifesaving
kidney transplant at University of Colorado Hospital since the first successful
transplant in 1963. In 2003, the transplant team performed a record-breaking
123 kidney transplants – the first time more than 100 kidney transplants
were performed in a calendar year at the hospital.
Despite the technological advances over the last 50 years, transplantation
still relies on humans sharing the gift of life through organ donation. Today
more than 87,000 men, women and children are waiting for organs. If enough
people sign up to be organ donors, it is hoped that donation rates might one
day keep pace with the advancements in technology, and everyone who needs
an organ will get one.
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More than 85,000 people in the United States are waiting for life-saving
transplants, and of these, more than 1,400 are Coloradans. While these
numbers continue to grow, an average of 16 people die every day waiting
for transplantation. Workplace for Life
Kickoff Event Schedule: |
Tuesday, 1/18
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