Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center - Houston, TX

May 2013

Navigate the Wait: May 19, 2013

Pre-kidney transplant patients - please join the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center for Navigate the Wait on May 19th at Methodist San Jacinto Hospital. This special event is intended to engage patients and their family members in conversations about their transplant journey. Methodist patients kick off the event sharing their personal experiences, along with a welcome from our team. Afterward, visit various booths for health screenings and information to learn where you are on the transplant waiting list, get answers to your financial and social work questions, learn about living donation and donor swap programs, and hear inspiring stories from your fellow patients.

To find out when the next Navigate the Wait event will be held, please call 713-441-1001.

April 2013

Leading Innovative Care in Transplantation: A Spotlight on Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center

OptumHealth Education is organizing a continuing medical education seminar for physicians, nurses, case managers and other health care professionals at The Methodist Hospital April 11-12. This unique, two day event offers an overview of the latest advances in transplantation and the management of organ failure. $25 Tuition! Register by March 8th. www.optumhealtheducation.com/tmh2013

March 2013

Transplant immune therapy expert joins Methodist faculty

Xian Li, M.D., Ph.D., a renowned expert on therapies that coax the body's acceptance of donor organs, has joined the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center as its new director of transplant immunology. Li is also scientific director of the Center for Immunobiology Research. Li will oversee scientific research at Methodist's transplant center, joins Methodist after 16 years with the Harvard Medical School, where he was deputy director

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February 2013

7th Annual LVAD Celebration

Please join the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center for our 7th Annual LVAD Celebration on Friday, February 22nd, from 1:30 to 3:30 P.M. Event to be held at The Methodist Hospital in the Rio Grande Conference Room. Please RSVP by February 19th to 832.667.5572. We hope to see you there.

January 2013

Battery-powered hearts give two brothers a fighting chance

HOUSTON—At their home in Porter, brothers Tyler Wertz and Austin Tucker can spend hours playing Xbox. The day we visited the game of choice was mixed-martial arts courtesy of the UFC. But next to their television sits a much more important piece of equipment: the computer and battery charger keeping them both alive.

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Young patients prioritized for donated kidneys

HOUSTON (FOX 26) -Without the gift of his transplanted kidney earlier this year, Sean Immonen could have easily died at the age of 29. It's fair to say his three-year wait for an organ, which included a week's worth of intensive care, traumatized both his body and his mind. It's fair to say his three-year wait for an organ, which included a week's worth of intensive care, traumatized both his body and his mind.

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August 2012

Cases of cirrhosis of liver on the rise

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It's called a silent epidemic -- silent because there are few symptoms, epidemic because thousands of overweight people are at risk. We have the story of how people who don't drink are getting cirrhosis of the liver in record numbers and what you can do to avoid it.

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Triumph Over Tragedy

HOUSTON—(July 16, 2012) — Born with a heart defect and diagnosed with congestive heart failure in 2004, Brian Gilliam was told he would need a heart transplant to stay alive. He was against the idea. "I felt I had lived a good life and I didn't want to take the organ away from a younger person who needed it," Gilliam said. "After talking it over with my family, I changed my mind." Since that time he has been an advocate for transplant; encouraging patients, promoting organ donation and living life to the fullest.

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July 2012

Celebration of National Donate Life Month

April marks the celebration of national Donate Life Month, where we remember the incredible sacrifice families have made by donating their loved ones’ organs to those in need. We also encourage everyone to register to become organ donors—there are currently more than 113,000 people across America waiting on lifesaving organs, and more than 7,000 are right here in Texas.

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50 transplants in April

The Methodist Hospital on record pace to save more lives in 2012 HOUSTON—(May 9, 2012)— Surgeons with the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center performed 50 transplants in April, putting them on pace to perform more than 500 this year."This sets a record for our center, which is one of the fastest growing transplant programs in the country. This incredible feat has been achieved through the focus of our multidisciplinary team on patient service, innovation and superb quality," said Center director Dr. A. Osama Gaber.

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June 2012

Houston surgeons perform transplants without transfusions

Shawnetta Parker reacts this month to good news about her recovery from a bloodless lung transplant at Methodist Hospital earlier this year. Parker, a Jehovah's Witness, declined on religious grounds to receive a blood transfusion.

Continue reading this inspiring story

May 2012

Slaton woman, son recoerving after Valentine kidney donation

On Valentine’s Day, the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center performed a living donor kidney transplant that made headlines.  Noemi Davis, a patient from Slaton, Texas received a kidney transplant from her son Amado Coronado. These patients were a part of the Lubbock-based University Medical Center's kidney transplant partnership with The Methodist Hospital.

Click here to read the inspiring story 

April 2012

60 Lives, 30 Kidneys, All Linked

The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center was featured in a New York Times front page article regarding the longest living donor kidney swap to date. The swap involved 60 people and 17 hospitals in 11 states, allowing 30 people to have life-saving kidney transplants.

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March 2012

6th Annual VAD Event

The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center held its 6th Annual Ventricular Assist Device Celebration to honor patients previously or currently on heart pumps and their caregivers.  The event was held to congratulate both patients and caregivers for their strength during their challenging journey of heart failure therapy.

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Feburary 2012

Expanding access to top-quality regional care

 The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center has forged a unique relationship with UMC Health System and Texas Tech University to meet kidney transplant needs in West Texas. The institutions work together to provide pre- and post-transplant care at UMC, with transplant surgery taking place at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Within the affiliation, Dr. Vineeta Sood, nephrologist and director of transplant services, and Dr. Werner T. de Riese, urological surgeon, manage a comprehensive outpatient transplant clinic at UMC. Patients remain at home until living donor surgery is scheduled or until a deceased donor kidney becomes available. The two teams make every effort to arrange cost-effective, seamless travel and lodging for patients while in Houston. Patients return home as quickly as two weeks after transplant surgery. For more information, contact the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center at 713-441-5451.

January 2012

Expanding Access to Top-Quality Regional Care

In 2011, Methodist furthered its commitment to providing access for patients suffering from end-stage organ failure. The Transplant Center opened two new outpatient clinics that provide organ failure management. All care in the satellite locations follows the same leading-edge protocols established for the Transplant Center. The experienced staff at the community clinics offer the majority of testing, education and evaluation services for pretransplant patients in a convenient, comfortable setting. Transplant surgery takes place at The Methodist Hospital in the Texas Medical Center®.

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This year the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center had an unprecedented turnout at our annual conferences – The George P. Noon Conference on the Management of Organ Failure, and Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease Management: The Promise of a Second Chance. Over 300 attendees enjoyed updates from local and national speakers on the topics of heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, intestine, and lung failure. Both conferences captured the pioneering spirit of Dr. George P. Noon, who is photographed with Dr. A. Osama Gaber, the director of transplantation at The Methodist Hospital.

December 2011

Donate Life Rose Parade Float

On January 2, 2012, about 47 million US viewers—and another 28 million around the world—will watch the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade from Pasadena, California. Among the attractions will be the Donate Life Rose Parade Float, which the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is proud to sponsor for a third year.

The colorful float will carry 28 riders, representing the millions of people touched by organ and tissue donation, as well as the portraits of 72 organ, eye and tissue donors from 31 states, Canada, Japan and Taiwan. In conjunction with our sponsorship, The J.C. Walter Transplant Center is inviting living donors and patients on the kidney wait list to a special appreciation ceremony.

George P. Noon Conference

On Saturday, December 3, more than 200 medical professionals gathered at The Methodist Hospital Research Institute for the 2011 George P. Noon Conference. This annual event offers the medical community the chance to learn from the physicians of the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center about the latest treatment options for patients with end stage organ failure.

This year’s speakers presented on multi-organ transplantation, ventricular assist devices (VADs), treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, islet transplantation and innovative treatment options for patients who historically were not candidates for transplant. Attendees also explored the criteria for transplantation and the great importance referring patients at the right time.

The annual conference honors Dr. George P. Noon, a world-renowned medical pioneer and long-time Methodist cardiovascular transplant surgeon.

Chronic Kidney Disease Conference

Chronic kidney disease is quickly becoming a national epidemic, and understanding the disease is critical for medical professionals—especially those who treat the elderly or patients with hypertension or diabetes.

On Friday, December 2, the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center presented a new program for health care professionals: “Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease Management: The Promise of a Second Chance.”

About 200 attendees gathered at The Methodist Hospital to better understand the epidemic of chronic kidney disease and recent advances in diagnosis and early treatments that promise to change the course of disease progression. Speakers also discussed how nutritional management, exercise and protein intake determine to a large degree the occurrence of complications and the need for dialysis therapy.

November 2011

Dr. Osama Gaber and other experts at Methodist address the rise in obesity and its impact on the need for transplantation.

Rise in obesity, fatty liver might affect who receives a transplant

The dramatic rise in obesity is leading to more fatty liver disease in the United States, increasing the need for more transplants at a time when there already is a severe shortage of donated organs.

“We normally see a two to 3 percent increase each year in the number of people needing a transplant. In 10 years, we are looking at about a 30 percent increase,” said Dr. A. Osama Gaber, director of the Methodist J.C. Walter Transplant Center in Houston. “If you double that number to 60 percent in 20 years, we might have to make tough decisions about who receives organs.”

Alcohol, drugs, obesity, lipid disorders and diabetes can all be causes of fatty liver disease, which is a buildup of fat inside the liver cells. More than 30 million Americans live with this disease and between five and 20 percent of people with fatty liver will develop serious liver disease.

Learn more

September 2011

Dr. Matthias Loebe featured on KTRK-TV for heart pump story

Featured on local ABC13 affiliate news story, Dr. Matthias Loebe discusses a patient who was able to avoid a heart transplant through use of a heart pump at The Methodist Hospital.

See the story

FOR PROFESSIONALS:

2nd Annual George P. Noon Conference | Management of Organ Failure

We are pleased to announce the date of our 2nd Annual George P. Noon Conference on the Management of Organ Failure.  The conference will focus on recent advances in the management of heart, liver, lung, and kidney failure, and on new developments in the care of diabetes.

"Save the Date" brochure download
Register now

Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease Management | The Promise of a Second Chance

Methodist is proud to offer a new course to health care professionals, Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease Management: The Promise of a Second Chance on December 2, 2011. Chronic kidney disease  is quickly rising to the status of national epidemic. Awareness of chronic kidney disease is the best prevention measure. This conference will delve into recent advances in diagnosis and early treatment, which promise to change the course of disease progression.

"Save the Date" brochure download
Register now

July 2011

Methodist only center in southern United States to perform lung volume reduction surgery

The J.C. Walter Jr. Methodist Transplant Center is the only center in the southern United States approved to perform lung volume reduction surgery, a surgery that cures chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a certain group of patients.

"This surgery is only effective in patients who have emphysema in the upper part of their lungs, and not for those who have emphysema all over their lungs," said Dr. Harish Seethamraju, director of the lung transplant program. "These are patients who can no longer walk, need oxygen and have a very poor quality of life."

COPD is a condition that makes it hard for a person to breathe and progressively gets worse over time. Smoking is the leading cause of the disease that affects more than 12 million people in the U.S. and it is the nation's fourth leading cause of death. Symptoms include coughing up mucus, shortness of breath, fatigue and wheezing.

"For this surgery, we remove anywhere from 20 to 35 percent of the poorly functioning part of the lung," said Dr. Matthias Loebe, a Methodist lung transplant surgeon. "When we reduce the size of the lung, the remaining lung and muscles are able to work more effectively and help people breathe a lot easier, which of course leads to a much better quality of life."

Methodist took part in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) that took a look at the effectiveness of lung volume reduction surgery. The study found that patients were more likely to function better two years after surgery and did not face an increased risk of death because of the disease.

Loebe says another benefit of this surgery is that if the COPD patient has heart problems, which most of them do, the problems can be fixed at the same time as the lung volume reduction surgery.

"This surgery is a great option for people when medication stops working and they are still short of breath," Seethamraju said. "It will help relieve shortness of breath, improve lung function, increase one's energy level, and most of all, allow people to get back to doing normal every day activities without gasping for air."

June 2011

Grand opening at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

On May 26, 2011, the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center had an official grand opening and ribbon cutting for the advanced organ failure management and transplant evaluation clinic in Sugar Land, Texas. We welcomed clinical staff from Methodist Sugar Land Hospital as well as our physician partners to this exciting event. 

Our clinic is located at the Methodist Sugar Land Hospital MOB #3, Suite 300. Dr. Horacio E. Adrogue and Dr. Ashish Saharia serve patients with kidney, heart, lung, pancreas, and liver failure, as well as living kidney donors. 

Please call 281-275-0300 for more information about this new satellite clinic.

May 2011

Triple-transplant patient tells his story

KHOU ran a story on Walt McGuire, who needed the Transplant Center and multiple donors willing to offer the gift of life.

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Dr. Kandaswamy spoke at Transplant Grand Rounds

The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center welcomed Dr. Raja Kandaswamy, the Director of University of Florida Institute of Transplantation, and the Chief of Transplant Surgery at University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville. Dr. Kandaswamy spoke at the transplant grand rounds the morning of Wednesday, May 11, 2011.

Dr. Kandaswamy conducted a stimulating discussion of total pancreatectomy and islet auto-transplantation for chronic pancreatitis.

"A Celebration of the Journey" special event: May 19^th

The Methodist Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation is pleased to announce a special event dedicated to our liver transplant patients and their families, A Celebration of the Journey. 

The event will be held Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on the first floor of the Methodist Outpatient Center.

April 2011

"Celebration of Life" filled with tears of joy, laughter, and life

The Methodist J.C. Walter, Jr. Transplant Center welcomed more than 400 hundred transplant patients, families and friends to its annual "Celebration of Life" event on Thursday, April 28, 2011 in honor of National Donate Life Month.

Donor recipients and families of those who gave the gift of life told moving stories of how the transplant process has affected their lives.

Join us for the "Celebration of Life"

In honor of Donate Life Month, the Transplant Center will be having a "Celebration of Life" gathering on Thursday, April 28, 2011 from 1-3 p.m. at the Marriott-Medical Center.

Download invitation

Astros game, education in honor of Donate Life Month
April 12, 2011

April is Donate Life Month, and the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center encourages all Americans to consider registering as organ donors. Did you know that one organ and tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 80 people, and that all major religions support and encourage organ donation?

The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center is the largest program in Texas, and has some of the best outcomes in the nation, performing heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, islet and multi-organ transplants.

In honor of the 110,000 Americans awaiting lifesaving transplants, talk to your family today, and register at donatelifetexas.org.

Methodist's Donate Life Month events:

Education booth

Houston Astros Organ Donor Awareness Night

March 2011

Dr. Gertz' visit highlights the Methodist commitment to growing Amyloid clinic
March 15, 2011

The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center recently hosted Amyloidosis world expert Dr. Morie Gertz, Chairman of Medicine for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. His talk at Methodist's Transplant Grand Rounds was on Immunoglobulin Light-Chain Amyloidosis (AL) and state-of the art approach and treatment options. Dr. Gertz spoke before a packed audience including the various medical, surgical and nursing specialists caring for amyloid patients at Methodist.

Dr. Gertz' visit highlighted the Methodist commitment to the growing Amyloid clinic. The Amyloid Clinic at the Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center was established to offer patients in the southern portion of the U.S. innovative treatments and a dedicated group of physicians and nurses tailored to their special needs. To date the transplant center has performed six single organ transplants, two multi-organ transplants and 18 autologous stem cell transplants in patients with AL amyloidosis.

The Methodist Amyloid Clinic hopes to raise awareness of this disease and promote early recognition, treatment and referral. Methodist is one of very few Amyloid clinics that offer multi-organ transplants to this patient population.

Some useful information about this disease:

1. AL amyloidosis is a systemic disease that is born in the bone marrow as a plasma cell disorder.
2. It has an incidence of five to 12 cases per million population per year in the United States
3. The plasma cells form abnormally shaped immunoglobulins (beta-pleated sheets) which are different than the physiologically normal alpha-helix configuration.
4. These proteins are thus not soluble and therefore infiltrate normal tissues and can lead to end-organ failure.
5. The most common presenting symptoms in descending order include fatigue, weight loss, purpura and bone pain.
6. The most common syndromes in descending order are nephrotic syndrome (with or without kidney failure), hepatomegaly, congestive heart failure (restrictive pattern), carpal tunnel syndrome, neuropathy and orthostatic hypotension.
7. Periorbital purpura and macroglossia are diagnostic of AL amyloidosis but rare (10-15%).
8. A high index of suspicion is critical to early diagnosis and timely referral to an amyloid specialty center.

For more information or to refer a patient please call 713-441-8900.

Grand Rounds was particularly notable since our most recent successful AL amyloid transplant recipient was in the audience. Mr. Walter McGuire received a heart and kidney transplant at The Methodist Hospital in late January of this year and currently has excellent cardiac and kidney function.

Written by: Horacio E. Adrogue, MD

January 2011

OptumHealth has named The Methodist Hospital a Center of Excellence for its transplant program
January 28, 2011

We're excited to announce that we have been recognized and welcomed by OptumHealth into its transplant Centers of Excellence network program. OptumHealth has provided access to clinically superior, cost-effective health care for complex medical conditions since 1986. Its Centers of Excellence network is built on quality measurement and value-driven contracting that is unique in the health care industry. Through integrated, personally-relevant health guidance, technology and services, individuals are more likely to experience superior outcomes at medical centers that meet strict network criteria.

December 2010

Methodist performs 100th lung transplant in 2010
December 1, 2010

Surgeons with The Methodist Transplant Center recently performed the 100th lung transplant for 2010, a feat accomplished by only three other hospitals in the United States.

"Being able to do this many successful transplants is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole transplant team to build a world class lung transplant program," said Dr. Harish Seethamraju, director of the lung transplant program. "The skill and knowledge of our entire team enables us to transplant people with disease processes that many other lung transplant programs will not transplant. We see patients from all over the country, and our program has an 86 percent one-year survival rate."

The Methodist lung transplant program has performed more than 500 transplants since its inception in 1967 and is consistently ranked among the top five programs in the country, nearly tripling the number of lung transplants performed in the past five years. Its team has also played an integral part in developing the multi-organ transplant program at Methodist.

"There are very few centers throughout the world that do as many transplants as we do with such high quality and positive outcomes," said Dr. Matthias Loebe, a Methodist transplant surgeon. "As outcomes continue to improve, more and more patients, who could greatly benefit from lung transplantation, are being referred to us and that is a good thing."

The lung transplant program at The Methodist Transplant Center is also the only in the Houston area to earn a Bronze award from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Methodist's lung transplant program is the largest in the country.

The award measures performance based on post-transplant survival rates, transplant rates and mortality rates after patients have been placed on the waiting list. Only 22 percent of transplant programs in the United States are given this award.

November 2010

The Methodist Hospital receives $10 million gift for J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center
November 29, 2010

The children of a distinguished Houston philanthropist and oilman made a $10 million gift this week to the Methodist Transplant Center in honor of their late father who received a heart transplant at Methodist 20 years ago.

Through Walter Oil & Gas Corp., Joseph C. “Rusty” Walter III, and his sister, Carole Walter Looke, established an endowed fund to support the hospital’s multi-organ transplant program, which includes heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas.

The Methodist Hospital’s tradition of excellence in transplant began nearly 50 years ago, dating back to 1968 when Dr. Michael DeBakey performed some of the country’s first heart transplants. Now Methodist is home to the largest multi-organ transplant program in Texas and the most comprehensive center for transplantation in the Houston area, and continues to make strides in research and clinical care that enhance patients’ quality of life.

This generous gift supports the clinical, education and research activities of the transplant program, which performed more than 300 transplants in 2009. The center will be named the J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center at The Methodist Hospital after Walter, a member of Methodist’s board of directors until his death in 1997.

“We are so very grateful for this gift made possible by Rusty and Carole. From my first days as an employee at Methodist 30 years ago, I always admired their father. He was a mentor to me and a visionary for our hospital system,” said Ron Girotto, President and CEO of The Methodist Hospital System. “I am so touched by their desire to honor the legacy of their great father. This significant gift will be instrumental in growing our transplant programs and enhancing this center of excellence for the benefit of our patients and the Houston community. Receiving this gift during the holiday season is so fitting, reminding us of the generosity of those who donate their organs to help others.”

J.C. Walter Jr. was active in the Texas Medical Center and served on the Methodist board for 30 years. His lifetime contributions to the energy business have been recognized by the University of Texas at Austin where he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award (1985), Distinguished Graduate of the College of Engineering (1977), Distinguished Graduate of the School of Geology (1984) and the Hall of Honor Award of the College of Natural Sciences (1995). He also received St. Luke’s United Methodist Church highest award, the Distinguished Life Award.

“Our father was an amazing person—a generous leader in the community and a devoted family man, “said his son, who serves on the Methodist board. “There’s no better way to honor him than to support the very program that gave my father a second chance of life. Transplant medicine has come a long way since then, and we hope this gift will further enhance one of the country’s fasting growing transplant programs.”

Dr. A. Osama Gaber, director of the Methodist Transplant Center, said the gift comes at a crucial time for the program as it is rapidly becoming the leading center in Texas and one of the largest in the country.

“It is obvious that their generosity is based on a deep commitment to serve others and a desire to give back and honor the memory of Rusty and Carole’s dad,” he said.

Gaber said the gift will provide further support for heart, lung, liver, kidney, and pancreas transplants as well as for advancing living donation and multi-organ transplantation.

Inaugural George P. Noon Conference a success
November 22, 2010

On Saturday, Nov. 6, the Methodist Transplant Center hosted its inaugural George P. Noon Conference on the Management of Organ Failure, which provided an update on the latest treatment modalities for end-stage organ failure. More than 150 physicians, nurses and health care providers attended the conference, focused on recent advances in management of heart, liver, lung, and kidney failure, and on the new developments in the care of diabetes.

As more and more patients suffer from diseases such as pulmonary hypertension, liver cirrhosis, cardiac failure, diabetes and obesity, clinicians must be armed with the knowledge of how to care for patients with advanced organ failure. The conference investigated current therapies such as multi-organ transplantation, ventricular assist devices, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, islet transplantation, and innovative treatment options for patients who historically were not candidates for advanced treatment of organ failure. Attendees also explored the criteria for transplantation and the great importance of timing of referrals.

Two breakout sessions covered the topics of “Cardiovascular Decompensation – is it heart or lung disease?” and “Obesity – the new epidemic impacting liver/kidney disease.”

Dr. George P. Noon is internationally known and respected by his colleagues for his pioneering research and clinical expertise in transplantation and assist devices. In 1966, Noon was asked by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey to become a part of his surgical team and in 1968, their team performed the first heart transplant at The Methodist Hospital. Noon became the primary surgeon for the insertion of ventricular assist devices at Methodist, and dedicated much of his time to researching the devices.

Hands-on Workshop for Surgeons and Interventionalists
November 22, 2010

Over the last several years, advances in technologies available for thermal ablative therapies for liver cancer have at times surpassed practitioners' expertise, creating a gap in knowledge and technical skills. Exposure to these technologic advances offered in training programs for physicians-in-training and didactic and skills courses for physicians in practice is variable, additionally, anecdotal experience is often insufficient to prepare physicians to properly apply these techniques.

This course will provide physicians with both didactic education and hands-on skills related to recent and novel technologies available in the care of the patient with solid liver tumors including microwave ablation, electroporation, and percunav localization. The focus of this course will include fundamentals, applications, and limitations of each technology, as demonstrated and executed on animate models.

Learn more and register

The Mystique of Organ Transplantation lecture
November 11, 2010

Dr. Thomas Starzl, Professor of Surgery and Founding Director of the Transplant Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, will be lecturing on the topic of The Mystique of Organ Transplantation. The event will take place Wednesday, December 8, 2010 beginning 4 p.m. at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston—6431 Fannin, Houston, Texas 77030, UTHealth Medical School Building, Room 3.001. Please join us.

Golden Triangle musician receives heart transplant
November 4, 2010

Southeast Texas singer and musician Dave Shaw is recuperating after a heart transplant at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. Shaw is in good condition in a post-surgical intensive care unit.

Read more on Methodist's Facebook page

More than 120 attend Navigate the Wait
November 4, 2010

The Methodist Transplant Center held two sessions of a new program, Navigate the Wait, on October 8 and 23. This event was geared towards kidney patients on the waiting list. Patients visited various booths to learn about our programs including: living donation; ABO incompatible transplants; desensitization; expanded criteria; and many other important topics. Similar events are being planned for the future.

October 2010

Houston man with rare blood disorder awaits triple organ transplant
October 28, 2010

In 2005, then 40-year-old Walt McGuire was playing hockey twice a week, working full-time and chasing his young daughter. Then one day, he noticed after one trip up the stairs to catch her, he couldn’t catch his breath. A few days later his legs were swollen. After numerous trips to different doctors, McGuire finally was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called amyloidosis.

Now, McGuire will be the first systemic amyloidosis patient in the world to receive a triple organ transplant as a result of his disease.

Amyloidosis is a condition where proteins fold in an abnormal manner. As a result, these proteins can travel to the heart, kidney, lung and spleen and severely damage these organs. This condition can present as carpal tunnel syndrome, heart, kidney or liver failure. Other symptoms include weight loss, nausea, and vomiting. It affects between five and 13 people per million population per year and some can have the disease many years before it is diagnosed.

“Mr. McGuire has the most common form of this disease in the United States called systemic AL(light-chain) amyloidosis,” said Dr. Horacio E. Adrogue, medical director of the Methodist Transplant Network, a part of The Methodist Transplant Center in Houston. “This means a type of protein that comes from bone marrow cells is not being produced correctly, not folding properly, becoming insoluble, getting stuck in the organs and destroying them.”

If a person with this condition receives a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy the disease can be turned off.

“You then have to deal with the consequences of the disease,” Adrogue said. “For example, if the kidney is damaged, the person can receive a kidney transplant and they can do quite well.”

There are two other major forms of amyloidosis. AA (associated) amyloidosis, which is associated to chronic diseases such as Crohn’s Disease, tuberculosis and familial Mediterranean fever, and ATTR familial amyloidosis, a condition where an enzyme in the liver is not being produced correctly. People with ATTR amyloidosis can have their liver removed, receive a transplant, and live a normal life.

“We have created the Amyloid Clinic, a multi-disciplinary, multi-specialty clinic at Methodist in an attempt to diagnosis this condition much quicker,” Adrogue said. “There are only two other facilities in the country with similar clinics. Our goal is to try to diagnose patients quicker before their organs are damaged.

September 2010

Methodist lung transplant program receives national honor
September 29, 2010

The lung transplant program at The Methodist Transplant Center is the only in the Houston area to earn a Bronze award from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The lung transplant program is the largest in the U.S.

Read more

For Professionals:
Inaugural George P. Noon Conference: Management of Organ Failure

Download brochure

Houston man first to go home with new LVAD

Martin Tompkins' heart was failing him—he could not walk three feet from his bed to the bathroom without feeling completely exhausted. However, after the 41-year-old received a new left ventricular assist device he’s going home with hope.

Read more

Methodist patients win big at national Transplant Games

Three patients who received transplants at The Methodist Transplant Center in Houston successfully competed in this year’s National Kidney Foundation Transplant Games in Madison, Wis.

Read more

August 2010

Dr. Galati Published in The Lancet
August 10, 2010

Dr. Joseph Galati, Medical Director for the Methodist Liver Center for Disease and Transplantation, is cited in an article on www.thelancet.com, entitled, "Eficacy of boceprevir, an NS3 protease inhibitor, in combination with peginterferon alfa-2b and ribavirin in treatment-naive patients with genotype 1 hepatitis C infection (SPRINT-1): an open-label, randomised, multicentre phase 2 trial."

July 2010

Methodist Transplant Center Outcomes
July 14, 2010

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) released updated transplant results on July 13, 2010 which included specific outcomes for Methodist Transplant Center's (MTC) kidney, kidney/pancreas, liver, heart and lung transplant program. The SRTR is the national database of statistics related to solid organ transplantation governed through Department of Health and Human Services. Public accessibility of these transplant outcomes is an important issue for the expanding population of those patients needing and choosing transplantation.

Methodist Transplant Center Post Transplant Outcomes
(01/01/2007 – 06/30/2009)

SRTR report highlights (significantly higher or better outcomes) of 262 MTC patients receiving kidney transplants between 01/01/07 and 06/30/2009 included:

• One year kidney graft survival is significantly higher with an observed one year graft survival being 97.46 compared to an expected of 94.08.
• Half of patients listed for transplantation at MTC received a transplant at 26.5 months after being placed on the waiting list, where nationally it took 46.7 months to reach the same fraction of patients transplanted.  
• Other notable kidney transplant program items:
  MTC performed more transplants in more highly sensitized patients (10-70% and 80+% PRA's) than the national rate.
  Less delayed graft function at one week than national parameters (16.9% at MTC versus 23.8% National).
  Median length of stay is 4 days versus a national median of 6 days

Liver transplant program outcomes for transplants performed between 01/01/07 and 06/30/2009 indicated 1 year observed patient survival was 92% versus an expected patient survival of 90%. Observed 1 year graft survival 89% versus an 86% expected graft survival.

The Heart Transplant program, 23 heart transplants were performed with an observed one year patient survival of 90.28 patients compared to an expected rate of 90.23.

Notable heart/lung transplant program items:
Nationally, level, 29 combined heart/lung transplants were performed, 8 of these were at MTC.

Lung transplantation volumes have increased dramatically, with 79 lung transplants performed last year and during, an observed patient survival rate of 83.62 versus and expected rate of 77.91 for 116 patients transplanted between 01/01/2007 and 6/30/2009. During this time frame, Methodist Transplant Center is ranked fourth largest in the United States.

SRTR report highlights(significantly higher or better outcomes) of patients receiving lung transplants between 01/01/09 and 06/30/2009 included:

Half of patient listed at MTC received a lung transplant as of 3.5 months after being placed on the waiting list, where nationally it took 6.7 months to teach the same fraction of patients transplanted.

May 2010

Diabetes, Hypertension & Kidney Disease Symposium
May 27, 2010

Join physicians and staff from the Methodist Transplant Center on Saturday, June 12 for a symposium about diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease. Hosted by Walk the Talk America, attendees will hear from primary care physicians, nephrologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, nurses, dietitians, social workers and physician assistants from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Intercontinental Hotel (2222 West Loop South, Houston, Texas, 77027). For more information, please call 713-706-6103 or visit www.walkthetalkamerica.com.

This conference will address latest approaches to prevention, screening, early intervention and management of chronic diseases. Activity is jointly approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit 6.0 CME, CNE; Continuing Education Credits for Social Workers and Dietitians have been applied for.

Registration/Breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. Registration required. Cost: $49.95. Space is limited. REGISTER NOW!

8th Annual Race for the Pennant
May 25, 2010

Join the Houston Astros for the 8th annual Race for the Pennant 5K Run/Walk and Junction Jack's Kids Fun Run on Saturday, May 29, 2010 at Minute Maid Park.Participants will receive an official race T-shirt and two free tickets to a 2010 Houston Astros home game. The race is presented by The Methodist Hospital in partnership with the JLH Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

For more information about the race or to register online, please visit: http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/community/race.jsp.

An Excellent Talk on CMV Management
May 25, 2010

"Management of CMV Following Solid Organ Transplantation in the Era of New Immunosuppressive Agents" presented by: Martin Zamora, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine Medical Director, Lung Transplant Program University of Colorado Health Science Center

Amyloidosis Patients Doing Very Well With Transplants at Methodist
May 19, 2010

The Methodist Transplant Center has been actively recruiting patients with amyloidosis following several successful transplants. Amyloidosis is a disease that occurs when the body collects deposits of abnormal proteins in the tissues and/or organs. There are several genetic types of amyloidosis that affect the prognosis of the disease. The heart, liver and kidney are the most commonly affected organs and one or multiple of these organs can be transplanted successfully. The transplant center, in collaboration with hematology-oncology specialists at Methodist, created an amyloidosis study group to look into expediting the diagnosis, work up and transplantation of amyloidosis patients.

Methodist Transplant Center Patient's Journey Featured on Local News Station
May 19, 2010

Watch a story on a local news station about Methodist Transplant Center patient Theresa Booth as they chronicle her journey in receiving a life-saving kidney transplant.

ECMO UPDATE: Artificial lungs closer to reality?
May 6, 2010

Dr. Wade Fischer gave a presentation on May 6 titled "ECMO 2010" at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center Grand Rounds. ECMO is extracorporeal membrane oxygenator, a machine that can oxygenate the blood in place of a failing lung. Dr. Fischer discussed new technologies and expanded indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation including its utility in cardiac and pulmonary transplant. In addition to its use as a bridge to decision in heart and lung transplant, Dr. Fischer showed how it can be used to improve outcomes in transplant patients with acute graft failure and rejection. Another novel technology is the Novalung or ILA membrane ventilator which can be used to support patients with respiratory failure in a similar fashion to that of an LVAD supporting a patient with left ventricular failure. Many of these technologies are currently available to the Methodist Transplant Center and others may be available soon as part of a clinical trial.

April 2010

The Methodist Transplant Center Grand Rounds

Methodist Transplant Center Grand Rounds distinguished guest speaker, Michael Abecassis, M.D., M.B.A., 2010 President elect of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons attended the TMH MTC grand rounds on April 9, 2010.

April is Donate Life Month — Celebration of Life

April marks the celebration of national Donate Life Month, where we remember the incredible sacrifice families have made by donating their loved ones' organs to those in need. We also encourage everyone to register to become organ donors—there are currently more than 105,000 people across America waiting on lifesaving organs, and more than 7,000 are right here in Texas.

In honor of Donate Life Month, the Methodist Transplant Center will host its annual Celebration of Life on Friday, April 16, for transplant patients and organ donor families. Methodist has held the event for more than 10 years, and it continues to grow as more patients are impacted by organ donation and transplantation.

Also in April, the Methodist Transplant Center will sponsor Organ Donor Awareness Night with the Houston Astros. The first 10,000 fans will receive Astros tote bags that include information on organ donation and the Methodist Transplant Center. We will honor the JLH Foundation—established in memory of heart transplant recipient John L. Hern—in a pre-game ceremony for their generous contributions to transplant patients, and a patient will throw out the first pitch.

Learn more about patients who have been affected by organ transplant at Methodist.

March 2010

Lung Transplant Sees Stellar Growth in First Quarter of 2010

Dr. Matthias Loebe

Dr. Harish Seethamraju

The lung transplant program at the Methodist Transplant Center saw stellar growth in the first quarter of 2010. Nearly 30 patients received a new breath of life after lung transplant, a 30 percent increase over first quarter 2009, and there was a 22 percent increase in patient referrals.

As we grow, patient satisfaction remains forefront in the care we provide—the average score for lung transplant patients was 94 percent throughout the first quarter.

October 2009

CME Conference

"New Beginnings after Transplant"

Please join the Methodist Transplant Center for our inaugural CME conference, New Beginnings After Transplant. Earn 7.5 hours in continuing medical education credits, with 1 hour of ethics. The conference will cover liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, and lung transplantation. This conference is geared toward physicians, surgeons, nurses, social workers and allied health professionals. For more details or to register, please contact Rachel Friedman at rmfriedman@tmhs.org or 713-441-1157.

When: Friday, Dec. 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Marriott Hotel - Texas Medical Center
6580 Fannin
Houston, Texas 77030

My New Life Lecture Series

"Influenza and its Affect on the Transplant Patient"

Guest Speakers:

• Harish Seethamraju, M.D., Methodist Transplant Center
• Lisa Cashiola, R.N., C.C.R.N., Methodist Transplant Center

When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 6 - 8 p.m.
Where: The Methodist Hospital - Dunn Tower, First Floor (Rio Grande Conference Room)

Refreshments will be served.
To RSVP, e-mail Larry Johnson or call 713-441-5670

Heart & Lung Support Group

Please join us to hear from guest speaker Dr. Ramesh Kesavan, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Transplant pulmonologist at the Methodist Transplant Center, discussing "Post-Transplant Non-Infectious Diseases, The Pitfalls Associated With Non-Compliance."

When: Thursday, October 22, 2009 from 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: Dunn 463 (Tuttle Assessment Center)
Refreshments will be served.

My New Life Lecture Series

"Medicare Parts A, B, C and D... how does your knowledge stack up?"

Guest Speakers:

• Barbara McGinity, LMSW, Better Business Bureau Education Foundation
• Sue Weber, Methodist Transplant Center
• Angella Nash-Taylor, Methodist Transplant Center
• Terrell Rollins, Methodist Transplant Center

When: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 6 - 8 p.m.
Where: Dunn Tower 1st Floor, Rio Grande Conference Room

Dinner will be served.
To RSVP, e-mail Larry Johnson or call 713-441-5670

September 2009

August 2009 Set Record for Transplantations at The Methodist Hospital

The Methodist Transplant Center celebrated a phenomenal month in August 2009, matching its record-breaking month just months ago in January 2009. The team performed 33 total transplants and broke the all-time record of kidney transplants at Methodist.

"I know everyone worked hard to make this happen, and we appreciate the contributions and dedication of our physicians and staff," said Susan Zylicz, director of the MTC.

August Stats

• 18 kidneys: 7 living donor transplant – most transplants in one month in all of Methodist history (last record was 14 transplants in January 2009)
• 7 lungs
• 3 hearts
• 3 livers
• 1 heart/lung
• 1 kidney/pancreas

August 2009

Methodist approved as pancreas and kidney/pancreas Center of Excellence by CIGNA LifeSOURCE

CIGNA LifeSOURCE approved the Methodist Transplant Center’s pancreas and kidney/pancreas transplant programs for inclusion in their “Center of Excellence” network.

Methodist is the second Texas transplant center to be approved for kidney/pancreas and pancreas transplants in CIGNA LifeSOURCE’s Transplant Network Centers of Excellence.

CIGNA LifeSOURCE contracts with transplant centers that are nationally recognized for their quality care. Each CIGNA LifeSOURCE Center of Excellence program is carefully chosen based on established quality standards. The goal is to include programs with demonstrated superior outcomes that are equal to or better than those expected for the program, based on OPTN/SRTR risk-adjustment. When considering a transplant program for inclusion in the CIGNA LifeSOURCE Transplant Network®, several factors are assessed, including:

• Patient and graft outcomes
• Transplant team training and experience
• Number of transplants performed annually
• CMS certification
• Wait times and overall patient survival while on the wait-list
• Geographic location and accessibility

All programs are required to meet the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ “Hospital Conditions of Participation: Requirements for Approval and Re-Approval of Transplant Centers to Perform Organ Transplants” (42 CFR Parts 405, 482, 488, and 498).

July 2009

MTC Welcomes Dr. Lillian Gaber

The Methodist Transplant Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Lillian Gaber to the pathology team at The Methodist Hospital. As a nationally recognized transplant pathologist, Dr. Gaber has published more than 200 articles, abstracts and book chapters. She attended medical school at Ain Shams University School of Medicine in Cairo, Egypt, completed residencies at National Institute of Management in Egypt, New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, and completed her fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Gaber is a reviewer for the following journals: Transplantation, Kidney International, Pediatric Nephrology, American Journal of Kidney Disease and American Journal of Transplantation.

Sugar Land Donor Awareness event

The Methodist Transplant Center welcomes all family members and friends of patients on the kidney transplant waiting list, and those considering kidney transplant, to attend a special session about living donation. Hear first-hand from an individual who has donated one of her kidneys to a family member, and from a member of our MTC team about organ donation.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Methodist Sugar Land Hospital
Conference Room AD
16655 Southwest Fwy
Sugar Land, Texas 77479

June 2009

Methodist Kidney Transplant Evaluation Clinic to Open in July

As an extension of the Methodist Transplant Center in the Texas Medical Center, the kidney transplant evaluation clinic at Methodist Sugar Land Hospital offers patients the same high quality care close to home.

In addition to required medical tests, patients undergo one-on-one evaluations with the following professionals from the Methodist Transplant Center:

• Specialized transplant nurse coordinators
• Social workers
• Financial counselors

When medical and staff evaluations are completed, a clinical assistant works with patients to schedule appointments with their appropriate physicians at the Methodist Transplant Center in the Texas Medical Center.

May 2009

Living Donors Save Lives

The Methodist Living Donor Center is hosting a Donor Awareness Session for anyone considering living kidney donation.

Hear about the donation and transplant process from a living donor and get answers to all your questions from a transplant professional.

Monday, June 1, 2009
6 to 7 p.m.
The Methodist Hospital
Fondren 100 Conference Room

2009 Diabetes, Hypertension and Chronic Kidney Disease Symposium

The Methodist Transplant Center invites you to attend the 2009 Diabetes, Hypertension and Chronic Kidney Disease Symposium at 9 a.m. on June 20, 2009 at the Intercontinental Hotel located in the Houston Galleria.

This conference will address the latest approach related to prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of Chronic Kidney Disease and End Stage Renal Disease.

It is geared towards physicians — primary care, nephrologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists; nurses/nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, dieticians, and social workers. Dr. Osama Gaber, Director of Transplantation at the Methodist Transplant Center, is program chair of this event.

For more information please go to www.chronickidney.com.

• Download the Symposium Invitation
• Download the Symposium Agenda

"Celebration of Life" Had an Artistic Touch for 2009

The Methodist Transplant Center held its annual Celebration of Life for transplant patients and donor families last month, in honor of April’s Donate Life Month.

Methodist has held this ceremony for 10 years, and each year, more patients bring their families to honor their gifts of life. Nearly 300 people attended the 2009 ceremony, where they heard from caregivers, donor families and transplant recipients.

Drs. George Noon and Graham Guerriero, along with LifeGift CEO Sam Holzman, were honored for their incredible contributions to the field of transplant medicine and organ donation. Drs. Noon and Guerriero performed some of the first transplants in the United States in the 1960s and Holzman has been instrumental in overseeing organ donor allocation across north, southeast and west Texas.

In addition to the annual ceremony and special honors, singer and songwriter George Kovacik, a Methodist employee, wrote a song for the event and artist Jody Respondek attended to unveil a painting he created for the Methodist Transplant Center.

Kovacik and his music partner Jeff Balke have played at the Celebration of Life for three years, but this year Kovacik decided to write a song and dedicate it to the event. The song, “Someone Came to Help Me,” tells a story of a patient waiting for a transplant, and the precious gift of donation through tragedy that saves the patient’s life.

Respondek, a public school art teacher, created a vivid oil painting to depict the continuation of life through transplant and to portray the eternal giving that takes place when one person makes the decision to become a donor.

April 2009

LVAD Program Awarded Two Performance Awards

The Methodist LVAD program was awarded two performance awards at the Intermacs meeting for outstanding outcomes: the Vanguard Center Award and the James K. Kirklin Award. No other program in the country received more than one award. Special congratulations to Dr. Matthias Loebe, Director of Methodist’s VAD program, Barbara Elias, Methodist Transplant Center’s VAD Coordinator, and Suellen Irwin, Methodist Transplant Center’s Data Coordinator.

MDHVC Completed First Clinical Research Trial on Third Generation Ventricular Assist Device

The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center in Houston, Texas, completed the first clinical research trial on third generation ventricular assist devices - the VentrAssist® Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Bridge to Cardiac Transplantation - Pivotal Trial.

» Read more...

March 2009

National Donate Life Month

National Donate Life Month is celebrated throughout the country during the month of April. People across the U.S. make an effort to celebrate the incredible generosity of those who have saved lives by becoming organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donors and encourage more individuals to follow their example.

The Methodist Transplant Center will be holding a patient ceremony to honor organ donors and recipients on Thursday April 30, 2009 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Rio Grande Conference Room. Additionally, you are welcome to join us in the Texas Medical Center's Donate Life Month event on April 15, 2009 at 11 a.m. at the John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons (Bertner side).

Patient Ceremony

• Thursday April 30, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Rio Grande

Employee Event

• Set up across from Starbucks

TMC Event

• April 15, 11 a.m. in front of the Commons on Bertner Street

Astros Game + Referring Physicians Party

• April 24

Dr. Galati radio show broadcasted from Crain Gardens

February 2009

Methodist Transplant Center Receives Certification

The Methodist Transplant Center has been awarded Joint Commission Disease Specific Care Certification for Advanced Ventricular Assist Devices for Destination Therapy. For more information about the Joint Commission Specific Care Certification, visit www.jointcommission.org/CertificationPrograms/LeftVentricularAssistDevice.

November 2008

Texas Woman Saves Two Through One Kidney Donation

In an incredible act of unprecedented giving, a young Texas woman saved the lives of two individuals through her one kidney donation last month.

» Read more...

Methodist Transplant Center in Record Territory

Fueled by significant expansions in the lung and kidney programs, the Methodist Transplant Center in Houston has been in record territory since October of this year.

» Read more...

October 2008

Methodist Transplant Center LVAD Patient Stories

Read stories of patients who have undergone this procedure at the Methodist Transplant Center.

» Read more...

Multi-Vessels in Kidney Donors Successful at Methodist

This complex surgery has been performed to date with a perfect record of safety for the donors and without any complications for the recipients.

» Read more...

Surgeons at Methodist Transplant Center Perform Rare Multi-Organ Transplant

Surgeons at the Methodist Transplant Center performed a rare multi-organ transplant last week in the wake of Hurricane Ike.

» Read more...

September 2008

Methodist Surgeons Prevent Diabetes in Pancreatitis Patients Using Houston's First Islet Laboratory

With innovative islet transplant, Methodist creates functioning pancreas in patient's arm.

» Read more...

Surgeons at The Methodist Hospital Implant First Third Generation LVADs

Surgeons at The Methodist Hospital in Houston this month became the first in the Southwestern United States to implant a third-generation heart pump, called a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD.

» Read more...

August 2008

Dr. Elkady Wins 13th Annual Trinkle-Banowsky Abstract Competition

Wael Elkady, MD a post doctoral research fellow with the Methodist Transplant Center, was announced as the 13th winner of the annual Trinkle-Banowsky Abstract Competition at the Texas Transplant Society’s Annual Meeting at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas.

» Read more...

July 2008

Dr. George Noon announces his retirement from surgical practice

Dr. George Noon has announced his retirement from his surgical practice at The Methodist Hospital. Dr. Noon, one of Methodist's most respected surgeons,has been an integral and steady part of the transplant program at Methodist literally from its inception in the 1960s, and his masterful skills andcompassionate care for our patients will be missed. As surgical partner to Dr. Michael DeBakey, Dr. Noon was part of the team who performed many of the world's firsts when organ transplant wasnew tohealth care, and he has been part of many firsts even in recent years.

» Read more...

June 2008

The Helping Hearts will be having their annual fund-raiser golf tournament on November 9, 2008

The Helping Hearts will be having their annual fund-raiser golf tournament on November 9, 2008 at the Wildcat Golf Club. The Helping Hearts is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing help to people before, during, and after a heart transplant. The Helping Hearts meet the second Tuesday of each month beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Blanco Room at The Methodist Hospital and the Heart/Lung/LVAD Support Group meets every Thursday at 4 p.m. in D463 (Dunn Bldg. 4th floor classroom).

For more information, please contact The Helping Hearts president, Judy Williams at 281-476-1009 or via cell phone at 713-818-6184. The Wildcat Golf Club is located at 12000 Almeda Road, Houston, Texas 77045, 713-413-3400.

May 2008

Dr. A. Osama Gaber, Director of the Methodist Transplant Center appointed presiding officer of state kidney disease task force

Dr. A. Osama Gaber, director of transplantation at The Methodist Hospital, was appointed by Governor Rick Perry as presiding officer of Texas’ new Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force.

» Read more

John L. Hern Patient Resource Center, Methodist opens new patient resource center with the generous support of the JLH Foundation

» Read about the JLH Patient Resource Center

December 2007

Methodist Transplant Center, Houston's fastest growing organ transplantation program releases success highlights by organ site

Our mission is to provide the highest quality of care to our patients; to advance knowledge and improve clinical outcomes in medical research and to educate medical personnel and the public about organ and tissue transplant.

» Download Methodist Transplant Center fact sheet

» Read about the history of the Methodist Transplant Center

» Read about Nora's Home

November 2007

My New Life Seminar Series - Medicare Part D: Finding the Right Program that Fits Your Budget

» Download Seminar Agenda

Methodist offers free skin cancer screenings to post-transplant patients

To prevent organ rejection, transplant patients must maintain an intense regimen of immunosuppression. Although survival rates and graft survival have improved dramatically for transplant patients over the last 20 years, transplant patients are more prone to developing skin cancer, the most common in malignancy and the 4th leading cause of death post-transplantation. Compared with the general population, transplant patients have a 65-fold increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, a ten fold increased risk of basal cell carcinoma, and three fold increased risk of melanoma.

Free skin cancer screenings for post-transplant patients will be conducted by Dr. Leonard H. Goldberg.

Phone: 832-667-5864
Dates: Thursday, November 1, 2007
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: Smith Tower, Suite 601
6550 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77054 (map)

Space is limited so please call to reserve your space to attend this free skin screening.

Physician Dr. Leonard H. Goldberg,M.D. Dermatologist, The Methodist Hospital

Fall 2007

Read the touching patient story about Spencer Kinley, a local 6th grader, that had a tragic skateboard accident.

» Download publication

» Are you considering organ donation? Read some of the myths about organ donation and transplantation.

October 2007

Former U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson was discharged Thursday from The Methodist Hospital in Houston after undergoing a lifesaving heart transplant 10 days ago

Wilson, 74, received a donor heart Sept. 24 after spending nearly two months on the transplant list. The former congressman, from Lufkin, served his district from 1973-1997. As a powerful member of the Defense Appropriations Committee, Wilson helped funnel billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Afghan fighters during the Soviet-Afghan war, which ultimately led to the fall of the Soviet Union. His exploits were chronicled in the best-selling book Charlie Wilson’s War, and in a movie this Christmas starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

Wilson was among more than 2,600 Americans awaiting heart transplants. Over 1,000 people have received heart transplants so far this year.

» Read complete news release...

» Read biography of Charlie Wilson

» View Methodist Transplant Center fact sheet

» View organ donation and transplantation fact sheet

September 2007

Osama Gaber, M.D. Director of Transplantation and Vice Chairman, Department of Surgery and Senior Member of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute has been awarded an R-34 planning grant by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the NIH. This would be a multi-center, Phase 3 clinical trial aimed at improving the graft and patient survival of African American recipients of kidney transplants through nutritional supplementation of the immunosuppressive regimen.

The Methodist Transplant Center performed its 3,000th organ transplant, giving those patients a second chance of life. The Center performed its first transplant in 1963, which was a kidney. And in 1968, Methodist surgeons performed one of the first heart transplants in the world. Since then, the transplant staff and physicians have performed countless other firsts, and they continue to be leaders in transplantation.

June 2007

Methodist names new clinical director of hepatology at the Methodist Liver Center

» View press release

May 2007

My New Life Seminar Series - Absolutes & Forbidden Fruits: The Do's and Don'ts Regarding Over-theCounter & Post-transplant Medications

» Download Seminar Handouts

April 2007

Donate Life Month Activities

Donate Life Month Employee Appreciation Event

Patient Service of Remembrance

Methodist Transplant Center Sponsors Transplant Awareness Night at Houston Astros Baseball Game

Kim Talley, Methodist Transplant Center Nurse, featured in nurses magazine

» View article

February 2007

Guillermo Torre, M.D., Ph.D. interviewed in local newspaper

» View article

January 2007

Methodist Transplant Center relocates to 12th floor of Smith Tower

» Learn more

» View facility map

October 2006

Methodist ranked among best in nation for liver transplant outcomes

» View press release