Patients, their families, donors, and Transplant Program team members gathered inside the Stillman Education and Community Room at Hennepin Healthcare to celebrate the Kidney Transplant Program's 60th anniversary on Saturday.
"What an incredible day to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our transplant center," said Hennepin Healthcare CEO Jennifer DeCubellis. "And just this morning, hearing stories and hearing lives impacted has just been incredibly impactful."
It was February 1963 when Hennepin Healthcare performed the first kidney transplant in the Midwest. 1963 was the same year the hospital performed the first dialysis treatment in the Midwest.
“We have the privilege of witnessing remarkable transformations almost every day,” explained Dr. John Silkensen, Medical Director of Hennepin Healthcare’s Kidney Transplant Program. “We care for patients who are pre-transplant and post-transplant. Receiving a healthy kidney after months – maybe years – of dialysis is a game-changer. We celebrate these successes with our patients and their families, and now we’re marking 60 years of innovative leadership this program has made for transplant care and research. Until kidney disease can be eradicated, we will continue to provide the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art care for our patients.”
During the celebration on Saturday, Hennepin Healthcare recognized the two longest living kidney transplant recipients, both of which received their kidney transplants in 1978.
"What an accomplishment, when you consider the average survival of a recipient with a deceased kidney donor is approximately 11 to 12 years and 19 years for a living donor," said Jenny Bodner, Hennepin Healthcare's Living Donor Coordinator.
Hennepin Healthcare's performed more than 3,100 kidney transplants since 1963.