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Study finds underperforming organ procurement organizations contribute to nationwide shortage

The number of potential organ donors in the United States could solve the shortage for most organs, but many organs are not recovered due to performance variations in the opaque organ procurement organization process, according to a just-published study with first and corresponding authors from Vanderbilt.

Pickens named chair of VUMC Thoracic Surgery

Allan Pickens, MD, has been named professor and chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Thoracic Surgery.

Last Christmas, I knew a liver transplant was my only chance to survive. This holiday, I’m alive because of the ultimate gift.

It never leaves my thoughts that someone I don’t know made it possible for me to still be here.

Ukrainian surgeons visit VUMC to observe transplant protocols

A group of doctors from Ukraine recently visited Vanderbilt to observe transplants and protocols as part of an initiative to establish a lung transplant program and improve heart transplantation in the war-torn country.

Kidney Transplant Program celebrates 60th anniversary

The Vanderbilt Transplant Center is celebrating its 60th anniversary of its first kidney transplant, performed on Oct. 3, 1962. Since then, VUMC has performed more than 7,000 kidney transplants, of which Walker was one of the earlier cases.