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Kidney Transplantation

At the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, our experts provide world-class care with outstanding outcomes to people in need of kidney transplant. Here are just a few of the reasons that our program is exceptional:

  • We are a top-ranked transplant program in the country, having performed the highest number of transplants with the lowest waitlist mortality in New York State.
  • We are ranked as the top center in New York City for speed to transplant with a deceased donor organ.
  • Our 1-year graft and patient survival rates, at 94.04 percent and 96.10 percent, are both higher than the national averages, 93.85 and 95.89.

Our modern facilities include state-of-the-art testing sites, dedicated inpatient surgical and intensive care units, outpatient physician offices, and single-occupancy rooms for all of our patients.

We conduct kidney transplant evaluations and provide pre- and post-transplant outpatient care at our Manhattan location and on Long Island at NYU Langone Surgical Associates—1300 Franklin Avenue.

We provide care for children through Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

When a Kidney Transplant Is Needed

People are born with two kidneys, one on each side of the spine. Kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and removing excess fluid and waste products from the body, which then leave the body as urine.

The kidneys also regulate blood pressure, ensure electrolyte and acid–base balance, and aid in the production of new bone tissue and red blood cells.

When kidney function is impaired, as in acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease, the kidney can no longer perform these activities. This puts a person at risk for medical complications that can include high blood pressure, swelling, life-threatening electrolyte imbalances, anemia, and bone loss.

Kidney disease may progress to the point where dialysis, a treatment that uses a machine to remove fluid and waste from the blood, is needed. While on dialysis or even before dialysis is started, your doctor may recommend a transplant.

While you wait for a donor kidney, you have regular appointments at our transplant clinic with our doctors, who collaborate with your referring physician to ensure continuity in your medical care.

Forms of Kidney Transplant

Kidney donations come from either living donors, who consent to the donation, or from deceased persons, whose families consent to donate the person’s organs. Deceased donors are the most common source of kidneys for transplant.

VIDEO: Patient Milissa Rocker Klotz and Dr. Bruce Gelb talk about Milissa’s living donor kidney transplant.

In either situation, the organ is removed from the donor and placed into the recipient by our team of highly skilled transplant specialists. Our medical team supervises the recovery of living donors to ensure they can quickly return to an active lifestyle.

After the transplant, all patients are followed closely in our outpatient transplant clinic.

Contact Us

For more information or to make an appointment, call the NYU Langone Transplant Institute at 212-263-8134.