Transplantation

KU Medical Center has averaged more than 640 transplants per year over the past 4 years. We have performed nearly 500 liver transplants and enjoy better survival outcomes than the national average. The transplantation program began in February 1990. We continue to do research and outcomes assessments to better refine and improve the survival and health of the patients. Median intraoperative transfusion needs for 2005 are 2.0 banked RBC’s per case. More than 30% of patients receive no banked blood during surgery. We use red blood cell scavenging to supply 65% of our blood needs for the operation. Average operation time is 5½ hours.

We are part of an international study on early extubation, with 60% of our patients (in 2002) extubated within 3 hours of case completion. (Thirty percent of the patients are extubated immediately in the room.) All patients who have come to surgery not on ventilatory support have been extubated within 10 hours of surgery.