Banner Good Samaritan Transplant Services reaches record number of liver, kidney transplants
Arizona's oldest transplant program performs 200 transplants in single calendar year
PHOENIX (Dec. 31, 2007) – Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center surpassed its previous record total of solid organ transplant procedures in 2007.
On Dec.12, surgeons performed two transplant operations, bringing the year-to-date total to 186 procedures, surpassing last year’s record of 184 procedures. By Dec. 31, surgeons had completed 16 more procedures for a total of 200 procedures.
The total included 212 individual transplanted organs, including 48 liver transplants, 137 kidney transplants (72 living donor and 65 deceased donor), 12 kidney/pancreas transplants (counts as one transplant) and three pancreas transplants. Transplant surgeons also conducted five procedures where a liver and kidney were transplanted simultaneously.
Every transplant is unique and different. For Shannon McMichael, 33, of Surprise, her transplant came as a belated Christmas gift.
In 1999, she she received a kidney from her mother after Shannon's kidney was severely damaged from reflux neuropathy, a condition in which urine backs up into the kidney. That donated organ worked well until late this year when Shannon’s body began rejecting it.
Shannon went back on dialysis and once again needed another kidney transplant. Her husband was discussing the situation with a co-worker, Gabriel Bennett, who asked what was required to do a kidney transplant. Mr. Bennett had a matching blood type and agreed to volunteer his kidney to Mrs. McMichael, whom he had not yet met.
The transplant was performed on Dec. 26 at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center and both are now recovering from the procedure. Mrs. McMichael said she now considers Dec. 26 her second birthday.
About Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a not-for-profit organization, and is a flagship hospital within the system. The hospital was recently named to U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” list for Gynecology, Heart and Heart Surgery, Kidney Disease and Urology.
Banner Good Samaritan has been recognized as a Magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care and practices.
2007 Transplant Statistics at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center
- 137 kidney transplants* (72 living donor, 65 deceased donor)
- 3 pancreas transplants
- 12 transplants involving kidney and pancreas
- 48 liver transplants* (all deceased donor)
* Kidney and liver statistics include five simultaneous transplants of both kidney and liver.
Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411
