Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt recently joined an elite group of pediatric hospitals offering transplants for multiple organs with the addition of pancreas and lung transplantation.
Recognized as a major regional referral center for heart, kidney and liver transplantation, incorporating pancreas and lung transplant services for pediatric patients bolsters the well-established expertise currently offered by the Vanderbilt Transplant Center (VTC).
“We are already doing three of the most common transplants at Monroe Carell,” said Saeed Mohammad, MD, associate professor of Pediatrics and director of the Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Center at Monroe Carell. “Bringing pancreas and lung transplantation into the fold will enable us to provide access to lifesaving transplants for as many patients as possible, especially those patients who have traditionally traveled long distances for care.
“Our highly experienced teams will continue to strive to be leaders in organ transplantation all while broadening the access to care for our region.”
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has one of the largest transplant centers in the U.S with a very robust pediatric arm. The pediatric specialty performed 26 liver transplants, nine heart transplants and 14 kidney transplants in fiscal year 2024, helping to set records for the comprehensive adult and pediatric program. Monroe Carell accomplishments include the first heart-kidney transplant in 2016, first heart-liver in 2017, the 100th liver transplant in 2023, the first living donor liver transplant in 2024 and the most recent milestone — reaching the 3000th liver transplant for VTC, which was performed in a pediatric patient.
“Our goal is to meet the needs of children, especially those with complex medical needs, by providing them the best chance of a normal life through transplantation,” added Mohammad. “We are a growing program and experiencing increased patient volumes.”
While there is a medical need, pediatric pancreas transplants are rare. Monroe Carell experts anticipate performing one pancreas transplant biannually.
Monroe Carell is a center of excellence for pulmonary hypertension, which is becoming the most common indication for lung transplantation.
Paul Moore, MD, professor, Pediatrics and Pharmacology and director of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology and Pulmonary Medicine at Monroe Carell, credits the advancements in lung disease treatment for the lower volume of transplants in the pediatric population, but acknowledges that there is still an important need for highly specialized pediatric lung transplant centers. He expects the team to perform upward of two lung transplants yearly — aimed primarily at adolescent patients.
“Over the last five years, newer targeted medications and better technology to help manage respiratory conditions have led to more effective treatment plans for our patients affording them better quality of life,” said Moore. “The creation of a lung transplant program at Monroe Carell helps to further these efforts.
“We have one of the highest volume lung transplant programs in the country for adults and a long-standing relationship with our colleagues in adult pulmonary and surgical services. We want to provide the same level of care for adolescents.”
Offering patients currently being treated at Monroe Carell the ability to stay close to home for evaluation for lung transplant brings a smile to Moore’s face.
“I am thrilled to be able to offer this option of being at a single center rather than traveling elsewhere. There is comfort in familiarity,” he said.
It takes a highly specialized, multidisciplinary team of about 150 people to work on a single transplant. The transplant teams include physicians in each organ specialty, surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists, intensivists, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, financial coordinators, nutritionists, organ procurement coordinators, preservationists and operating room staff, among others.