Specialists and Care Centers

Kidney Transplantation Specialists and Care Centers

Why choose Northwestern Medicine for kidney transplant:

  • We have performed more than 7,000 transplants.
  • Our center is one of only a handful of centers in the country offering ABO-incompatible transplantation.
  • We are one of a few transplant centers in the country investigating new therapies to help wean transplant recipients off immunosuppressant medications.
  • We are a leader in kidney paired donation, a possible solution for donor and recipient pairs who are not compatible with each other.
  • We are one of the world’s most experienced centers for steroid-free kidney transplantation.
  • We are one of the nation’s leading centers for laparoscopic kidney procedures.
  • Our satellite outreach clinics provide transplant evaluation services closer to home.
  • Our Hispanic Transplant Program offers a culturally sensitive approach to patient care for those who prefer to speak Spanish.
  • Our innovative transplant methods can help patients go home sooner after surgery.
  • Our integration with the pancreas and islet transplant programs means patients with renal disease or Type 1 diabetes can get a combined transplant.

Schedule an Appointment

To learn if you qualify for a kidney transplant or to be a living donor, please call 312.695.4837 (TTY: 711). We can help you schedule an appointment at one of our locations.


Northwestern Medicine Living Donor Program

Northwestern Medicine has the largest living donor kidney transplant program in Illinois and one of the largest programs in the country.

Benefits of receiving a kidney from a living donor:

  • There is no waiting period, so you can avoid dialysis or stop it earlier.
  • Surgeries can be scheduled at a convenient time for the donor and recipient.
  • A kidney from a living donor often works sooner than a kidney from a deceased person and typically lasts longer.

The Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Kidney Transplant Program

We recognize the importance of culturally sensitive care. The Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program offers transplant care to people who prefer to communicate about their health care in Spanish.

The program includes a bilingual transplant team that includes:

  • Surgeons
  • A social worker
  • A transplant nurse coordinator
  • A financial coordinator
  • Other support staff

Led by Juan Carlos Caicedo, MD, we offer education about transplants that is presented in Spanish. This educational clinic is in downtown Chicago.


The Northwestern Medicine Kidney Transplant Team

During the course of your kidney transplant care at Northwestern Medicine, you will meet a number of team members. This group of specialists brings expertise from a variety of disciplines and works together to give you the best care possible.

The kidney transplant team includes:

  • Transplant surgeons: Physicians who specialize in transplantation. These surgeons will perform your surgery and coordinate with all members of your care team. They will be involved in your care before your transplant, after your transplant and after your discharge from the hospital.
  • Transplant nephrologists: Physicians who specialize in disorders of the kidneys. Nephrologists will help manage your transplant before and after the surgery.
  • Transplant nurse coordinator: A nurse who will serve as your contact person throughout the transplant process. They will answer all of your questions and organize all aspects of care before, during and after your transplant. The nurse coordinator will provide patient education materials and coordinate your diagnostic testing and follow‐up care.
  • Social workers: Professionals who will support you and your family. They will help you address issues that may arise, such as lodging and transportation challenges, financial concerns and legal considerations.
  • Dietitians: Professionals who will help you meet your nutritional needs before and after the transplant.
  • Physical therapists: Professionals who will help you become physically strong and independent with movement and endurance after the transplantation.
  • Pastoral care: Chaplains are available to provide spiritual care and support.
  • Other team members: Several other team members will evaluate you before transplantation and provide follow‐up care, as needed. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
    • Anesthesiologists
    • Hematologists
    • Infectious disease specialists
    • Lab technicians
    • Pharmacists
    • Psychologists
    • Respiratory therapists
    • Urologists

Meet the Team

northwestern-medicine-transplant-mtt

The Northwestern Medicine Kidney Transplantation Team offers novel approaches to immunosuppression, including human clinical trials in immune tolerance, state‐of‐the‐art genomic and proteomic immune monitoring, and health services and outcomes research.

Meet the Downtown Chicago Kidney Transplant Team

Locations & Contact Information
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    Related Resources

    Downloads

    Websites

    • American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP): AAKP exists to serve the needs and interests of all kidney patients and their families by helping them deal with the emotional and social impact of kidney disease.
    • American Kidney Fund: The fund provides direct financial assistance to kidney patients in need and education for those with and at risk for kidney disease.
    • Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney: The online edition from ISN Informatics Commission and NKF Cyber-Nephrology provides information on kidney disease, treatment and research, including books and PowerPoint presentations.
    • Coalition on Donation: The organization promotes organ donation and provides education about it.
    • Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network: Website of the not-for-profit organ procurement organization that works with hospitals and donor families in the northern three-fourths of Illinois and northwest Indiana. The organization is responsible for the recovery of organs and tissue for medical transplantation in the service area, as well as for professional and public education on organ and tissue donation.
    • Home Dialysis Central: This website is dedicated to educating kidney patients about home dialysis.
    • Kidney School: This interactive, web-based learning program is designed to help people learn about kidney disease and its treatments, so they can take a more active role in their care.
    • Life Options: This program of research, research-based education and outreach helps people live long and well with kidney disease.
    • MedlinePlus: This is a trusted source that covers all aspects of organ donation and provides easy access to medical journal articles, extensive information about drugs, an illustrated medical encyclopedia, interactive patient tutorials and the latest health news.
    • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Part of the National Institutes of Health, this organization is involved in kidney disease research and treatment options.
    • National Kidney Foundation (NKF): This is the main foundation with 50 affiliates dedicated to providing prevention programs, educational services and materials for kidney patients, transplant recipients, communities and funding for research. NKF Affiliates: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
    • National Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is undertaking this initiative to ease the critical shortage of organ and tissue donors by building a national community of organ sharing.
    • Nephron Information Center: This site covers all aspects of kidney disease with many links to other sites.
    • Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN): OPTN is a unique public-private partnership that links all of the professionals involved in the donation and transplantation system. Its goals are to increase the supply of donated organs available for transplantation and the effectiveness and efficiency of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
    • Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation (PKD): PKD Foundation’s mission is to promote research to find a cure for PKD and improve the care and treatment of those it affects.
    • The Renal Network 9/10: This network facilitates the achievement of optimal wellness for renal disease patients.
    • Transplant Living: This is the United Network for Organ Sharing patient education site for all transplant patients.
    • Transplant Village: Giving Back to Northwestern Medicine: Transplant Village is a community of organ recipients, donors and family members who have had their lives touched and changed by the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center. With efforts managed by the Northwestern Medicine Transplant Advisory Council, this group has come together to create a network of resources and support and to raise funds for research and patient care at our affiliated hospitals.
    • TransWeb: TransWeb's mission is to provide information about donation and transplantation to the general public to promote organ donation and to provide transplant families with information dealing specifically with transplant issues.
    • United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): Through the UNOS Organ Center, organ donors are matched to waiting recipients 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Through its policies, UNOS ensures that all patients have a fair chance at receiving the organ they need—regardless of age, sex, race, lifestyle, religion, or financial or social status. UNOS members include every transplant program, organ procurement organization and tissue typing laboratory in the United States.
    • U.S. Transplant—Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR): The SRTR supports the ongoing evaluation of the scientific and clinical status of solid organ transplantation in the United States.
    • Worldwide Kidney Disease Community: This online resource brings together people with kidney disease, in a worldwide community dedicated to improving patient quality of life.

    Support groups

    The following associations have support groups available to help patients and their families through a transplantation:

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    In the spirit of keeping you well-informed, some of the physician(s) and/or individual(s) identified are neither agents nor employees of Northwestern Memorial HealthCare or any of its affiliate organizations. They have selected our facilities as places where they want to treat and care for their private patients.