UF Health Transplant Specialties Again Rank Among Nation’s Best

Rankings are based on data recently released from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients

GAINESVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UF Health transplant programs continue to be among the nation’s elite, including best-in-category results for the UF Health lung transplant program, according to reports released earlier this month by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, or SRTR.

“Treatment at UF Health centers on individualized care, quality of life and long-term outcomes,” said Thiago Beduschi, M.D., director of the Abdominal Transplant Center. “That means providing patients with the best possible treatment not only in the operating room but also before and after their operations.”

SRTR compiles biannual statistics to ensure patients and providers have the most up-to-date information on America’s transplant programs. Its data reflects metrics such as one-year survival rates for patients post-transplant, survival rates while on the waitlist and overall time spent on the waitlist.

“Behind every data point is a patient and a family counting on us during one of the most critical moments of their lives,” said Michael Holmes, senior vice president and regional president of UF Health’s Greater Gainesville market. “These results underscore our mission-driven approach to transplant care and the exceptional coordination, skill and compassion of our teams.”

Liver

Led by Beduschi, the UF Health liver program has continued to top the SRTR charts, including a multiyear trend of scoring in all 15 categories of the registry’s three-tier evaluation system. Its overall ranking places it at No. 2 in the nation and No. 1 in the state of Florida.

“Patient-centered protocols, from preoperative counseling to postoperative follow-up visits, ensure our patients have the absolute best chance at living the full and healthy lives they deserve,” Beduschi said.

In addition to excellent results for patients who have received transplants, the UF Health liver program was also best-in-nation at wait time for transplant candidates: 55% of patients on a UF Health waitlist received a transplant within 30 days.

Lung

One of the most important metrics SRTR uses to rank lung transplant programs is one-year survival rates for patients. UF’s program is fourth in the nation — and first in the state of Florida. The program is also first in the nation for waitlist survival rates.

Mindaugas Rackauskas, M.D., Ph.D., chief of thoracic surgery at the University of Florida and director of the adult and pediatric lung transplant program at UF Health, emphasized these numbers are no outlier. This is the lung program’s fourth consecutive cycle with rankings placing it among the best in the country.

“These aren’t spikes,” he said. “They’re not random numbers. Our program’s consistency really showcases the strength of our program and the strides we’re making as Florida’s premier lung transplant program.”

Amir Emtiazjoo, M.D., the section chief and medical director of the lung transplant program, said the program’s waitlist survival rates are a result of the commitment UF lung transplant teams make to patients.

“Lung transplantation is a journey that begins well before the transplant operation and continues for the rest of the patient’s life,” Emtiazjoo said. “I am deeply grateful to our dedicated team of coordinators, nurse practitioners and physicians who bring their best every day to support our patients throughout this journey. I believe this culture of care and excellence is the foundation of our continued success.”

Kidney

The UF Health kidney program ranks No. 2 in Florida and recently made headlines for a rare triple pairing of donors and patients in its robust living donor kidney program.

Taking a patient-first approach to transplants has always been the plan for physicians in the UF Health kidney program.

Georgios Vrakas, M.D., M.Sc., Ph.D., director of the adult and pediatric kidney and pancreas program, said the living donor program is dedicated not only to the success of each transplant, but to the long-term health of both donor and recipient.

“A donor might look good on paper,” Vrakas said. “But we need to run tests, perform extensive investigations, make sure the match is perfect and ensure the donor’s well-being for life. If there’s any kind of doubt, we’re not going to risk harming a healthy person.”

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