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Transplant Services

IRCCS ISMETT – UPMC specializes in organ transplantation thanks to a public-private partnership between the Region of Sicily and UPMC. ISMETT, affiliated with UPMC in the U.S. is internationally recognized as an excellence in the field of transplantation. Our liver transplant program, for example, has been active since 1981, and is known for the quality of research and technological innovation applied to transplant surgery.

Founded in 1997, ISMETT plays an active part in important research projects for the study of advanced therapies aimed at treating the insufficiencies of vital organs such as heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. ISMETT was also the first hospital in the south of Italy to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), one of the most appreciated accreditation systems in the evaluation of the quality of health care facilities. This recognition confirms the focus on clinical and managerial innovation, research, and theoretical and practical training of medical and health personnel active at the Institute.

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UPMC operates several transplant programs at the following facility:

What Transplant Programs are Available at UPMC

ISMETT offers solid organ transplantation programs for both adults and children. Our specialists routinely perform the following surgeries:

  • Liver transplantation, including from living donors.
  • Kidney transplantation, including from living donors.
  • Pancreas transplant.
  • Heart transplant.
  • Lung transplant.

Our qualified staff will make your stay at our hospital before and after the operation familiar and welcoming.

Transplant for Adult Patients

Many of the surgeons who make up our teams have performed liver, lung, and kidney transplants since 1999. In particular, lung transplants performed at our facility are rated among the best in Europe, as certified by the National Transplant Center. In addition, since October 2004, ISMETT has activated the heart transplant program, for which patients under the age of 65 are eligible. Pancreas and beta cell (pancreatic islet) transplants are also available, either in isolation or in combination with kidney transplantation.

Transplants for Pediatric Patients

At UPMC, our pediatric program is designed to offer personalized treatments to even the youngest patients. The specialists of the ISMETT Paediatric Surgical Unit have been recognized as some of the best in Italy for paediatric transplants. In addition, our treatment programs for liver, kidney, and lung diseases and abdominal surgery are available to children and adolescents diagnosed with severe abdominal diseases and who do not require transplants.

Inside the pediatric area there is a playroom for children. The "school in the hospital" service is active. This project enables lessons and schooling to take place in the ward. During the period of hospitalization, qualified teachers will tutor young patients in their studies, so that they can keep up with the school program and schoolmates even at a distance.

Why Choose UPMC for Transplant Services?

The specialist services offered by ISMETT in the field of transplantation are available both to those diagnosed with serious diseases, which can lead to terminal organ failure and surgery, and to those who do not need a specific type of intervention.

ISMETT has recently been included among the first medical facilities for transplantation in Europe, thanks to the level of technological development within its intervention programs, for example, the reconditioning of organs, a technique that enables regeneration of organs that otherwise could not be transplanted. ISMETT's excellence has also been certified by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), which annually compiles the Digital Health Most Wired – an international ranking that evaluates the effective use of new technologies in clinical and management programs of hospitals and health systems.

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