Pediatric Transplant Center

Our Approach

Each year, the center performs 50 stem cell transplants and 50 solid organ transplants on average, which is the largest number of pediatric organ transplants at a single center in Illinois. Our highly experienced transplant surgeons also use innovative surgical techniques that spare patients the need for a transplant when possible.

The Siragusa Transplantation Center uses a collaborative approach that brings together the best medical and surgical transplant care. A pediatric transplant surgeon, Riccardo Superina, MD, provides surgical direction for the center. He has pioneered procedures now used around the world. Estella Alonso, MD, is the medical director for the center.

All of our doctors and nurse practitioners have advanced training in pediatrics or adolescent medicine, allowing them to meet the unique needs of children and teens. Our entire staff is committed to giving your child the best possible care.


Learn more about our specialists 

Our Experience

We specialize in family-centered care, which means we provide emotional and social support to the whole family along with the patient.

Our care is also uniquely long-term. The center’s staff provides follow-up care into patients’ teenage years or young adulthood, checking their development to make sure they flourish. A joint program with Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a leader in adult transplantation, lets us offer lifelong follow-up care for transplant recipients. This partnership also lets eligible adult relatives donate certain organs and tissues to children as living donors.

Our transplant program pioneered the use of support services for children receiving a transplant and for their families. We address the medical, behavioral and emotional concerns of children and families through support programs, including:

• ParentWISE™: Links parents who have children with transplants
• PeerWISE™: Links transplanted children with those who have already gone through the process
• A school services program
• A financial coordinator

Conditions We Treat

Our pediatric specialists treat children for all conditions that may need a transplant. They include:

• Blood disorders​
• Cancer
• Digestive diseases
• Heart conditions and defects
• Immune deficiencies
• Kidney diseases
• Multisystem organ failure
• Metabolic disorders

Appointments

For more information, please call 1.800.543.7362 (1.800.KIDS DOC®). 

Traveling from out-of-state? Our Destination Services team is available to help make your experience at Lurie Children's go as smoothly as possible. Learn more.

Transplant Remote Consultations & Second Opinions

Whether you anticipate your child needing an organ transplant in the future, interested in multiple listing for organ transplant, or would like a second opinion on post-transplant care, the transplant remote consultation and second opinion program can help. 

Via telemedicine, our transplant providers are available for an initial consultation to review your care, explain our transplant process, and provide second opinions of post transplant care treatment plans before deciding if traveling to Lurie Children’s would be the right choice for you.

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