Organ Transplantation Program

The Northwestern Medicine Kovler Organ Transplantation Center is the longest continual provider of organ transplantation in Chicago. Since its first transplant in 1964, Northwestern Medicine has provided new organs for more than 6,000 people and has become a pioneer in transplantation research.

Watch Alberto and Soledad talk about their transplant experience and learn about the Living Donor Kidney Program from our medical and surgical team.

Why choose Northwestern Medicine for organ transplantation?

The Northwestern Medicine Kovler Organ Transplantation Center is a leader in research, innovation and patient care in the Midwest. Our teams span the spectrum of basic science, translational and clinical research, and offer novel approaches to immunosuppression, including human clinical trials in immune tolerance, state-of-the-art genomic and proteomic immune monitoring, and health services and outcomes research.

In addition, Northwestern Medicine:

• Transplants more than 400 organs each year, making the program among the top nationally in patient outcomes and the number of transplants performed
• Has performed more than 4,000 kidney transplants since the program’s inception
• Is one of the largest living donor kidney transplant programs in the country
• Is one of the largest living donor programs in the United States
• Has become a premier center for islet cell transplantation for diabetic patients

Organ donor registration

Register* to be an organ, eye and tissue donor and provide hope today to those in need.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Celebrates 25^th Anniversary of First Liver Transplant

Although Northwestern Memorial Hospital conducted its first kidney transplant in 1964, it did not expand its services to include pancreas and liver transplantation until 1993. While much has changed since those early days of organ transplantation, The Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center continues to be a leader in research and innovation.

Watch the below video to hear reflections from Michael Abecassis, MD, MBA, founding director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, and Steven Flamm, MD, chief of the Liver Program and medical director of Northwestern Medicine Liver Transplant.