INDIANAPOLIS – Today, St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital officials announced its new Renal Transplant Program. The hospital has partnered with nationally-renowned Cleveland Clinic to deliver optimal care to Indiana's patients with end-stage kidney disease. The announcement comes after the faith-based hospital performed its first successful kidney transplant on January 7, 2009. The 58-year-old patient from Elwood Indiana, was discharged on January 14 with near normal kidney function, and is thriving as an outpatient.
The St.Vincent Renal Transplant Program complements the hospital's 21-year top-performing Heart Transplant Program, and serves as a major component to the overall Transplant Center. In 2008, St.Vincent performed 20 heart transplants, making it the most active adult program of its kind in Indiana.
"Our new Renal Transplant Program will provide Indiana patients with the highest level of specialized care at our expanding Transplant Center," said Kyle DeFur, president of St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital. "Through our new partnership, we will enhance the quality of care, and ensure that we are appropriately addressing the end-stage kidney disease population."
The Renal Transplant Program is led by Dr. Bashir Sankari, who will serve as Surgical Director; Dr. Alvin Wee, attending surgeon; and Dr. Mahendra Govani, medical director. Drs. Sankari and Wee are both fellowship trained in kidney and pancreatic transplantation and are employed by the Cleveland Clinic. After an extensive recruitment process, both accomplished surgeons chose St.Vincent for its national reputation of clinical excellence across various specialties, and have relocated their families to the Indianapolis area.
For the past 16 years, Dr. Sankari was surgical director of a very successful renal transplant program in West Virginia, which averaged 50 adult and pediatric renal transplants a year.
Dr. Govani received his transplant nephrology training at Vanderbilt University and has more than 15 years of experience in transplant medicine. He is currently a member of the Indiana Nephrology and Internal Medicine Associates, and has been on staff and medical director at both Indiana University and Lutheran Hospital in Ft. Wayne.
Dr. Wee's expertise lies not only in renal and pancreatic transplantation, but also in laparoscopic (non-invasive) surgery for living kidney donors.
The St.Vincent Renal Transplant program not only provides comprehensive, state-of-the art renal transplant services, but in keeping with the mission and vision of the institution also offers individualized patient and family care. The hospital has a dedicated 11-bed inpatient unit for renal transplant patients, and will see outpatients at the Transplant Clinic at 8333 Naab Road.
According to the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization (IOPO), more than 76,000 patients are on the kidney transplant waiting list. Approximately 831 of those kidney patients are Hoosiers.
The St.Vincent Renal Transplant program received approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) after demonstrating compliance with all of the rigid standards of excellence required for kidney transplantation.
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St.Vincent Hospitals and Health Services
Driven by the faith of four Daughters of Charity who arrived in Indianapolis in 1881 with $34.77 in their pockets, the St.Vincent Hospital mission is to treat the poor and sick by following our Core Values of Service of the Poor, Reverence, Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity and Dedication. Our healthcare ministry has grown to include seven Centers of Excellence: Women's, Children's, Orthopedics, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, Cancer Care and Bariatrics. The ageless mission of St.Vincent remains unchanged: to minister to the minds, bodies and spirits of those in need.
